The Analytical Hero: Catalog
by ReAlPeRsOn101
Summary: It's difficult to accept this new life. Or, maybe the difficult part is coming to terms with memories of an obsolete world. Memories of a Generation that is long dead, and that I never. .Although, considering that I never had any knowledge of politics or ever kept up with current events, it's not too unreasonable that I never noticed the world around me gaining superpowers.
1. Chapter 1

**Heeeeeeyyyyy there my peeps! Okay, so ummm. . .Not sure really what to put up here, so this is all the notes I'm gonna make. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own a damn thing.**

* * *

**Game Start**

_*Enter_

_New Game+_

__*Enter Player Name_

_Kana Hughes_

_D.O.B: September 19, 2196_

_Sex: Female_

_Unassigned Data Points: 24_

_. . . 15 Points Distributed Due to Parentage/Age:_

_Strength/ 0_

_Dexterity/ 0_

_Intelligence/2_

_Perception/1_

_Charisma/ 5_

_Endurance/2_

_Luck/ 5_

_. . . .9 Points to Distribute:_

_+3 to Intelligence_

_+4 to Dexterity_

_+2 to Luck_

_. . .Points Successfully Distributed_

_. . .Skills to be Determined. . ._

_*Commence Opening Scene*_

A group of people, each clad in blue, faces covered with surgical masks, hover over a red-faced woman. She's drenched in sweat, her jaw clenched tight. Her jaw wrenches open to try to relieve her by releasing yet another agonizing wail. Standing next to her with his brows furrowed, a man let's the woman nearly crush his hand. Blood and fluids stain the otherwise sterile floor.

"Almost. . ." The Doctor reassures them. ". .We're almost there. ."

"-'s crowning!"

"Just one mo-"

"C'mon!"

"Arrrrrggggghh!"

The birth takes hours. The woman sags completely into her bed. Her ordeal is finally over. They wrap the baby in blue.

"A beautiful baby girl, Mrs. Hughes." They congratulate her.

The woman meets the man's eyes. "Kana. . .That's her name."

"Kana." He nods in agreement.

_*Fade*_

_*Que Opening Song*_

_*The Sequences by Go Yama*_

Her eyes are as blue as the clear sky, and her hair a mess of golden curls.

_*Cut*_

She smiles for the first time, but it's not directed towards her parents. Kana constantly moves away from them. As if on instinct.

_*Cut*_

Kana watches them carefully, tries to keep a distance between them. Her sky colored eyes are judging.

_*Cut*_

When she walks for the first time, it's out of her parent's sight. She starts climbing on things and chewing on any solid objects she can reach. The baby explores and learns. They'll never know how aware she is.

_*Cut*_

They constantly lose or 'misplace' her. Kana is forever wondering off, or disappearing. Neither of her parents know exactly how she's doing it, but they have a suspicion. A professional confirms it. She has already activated her quirk, which they believe is her father's teleportation. It's not at all true.

_*Cut*_

Kana is carefully monitored, a tracker placed on her in the form of a bracelet. Her parents stop looking for her when she 'disappears'. Little 'adventures' become more frequent. No one outside of her parents -and the Doctor- know about her Quirk. That they know of.

_*Cut*_

It hasn't been even a full year, yet her parents are expecting again. The Doctor had denied her mother's _demand_ to have her tubes tied after she had Kana. He said that _she wasn't old enough_. That she _had _to either be old enough, or have had both a boy and a girl _and even then she had to have her **Husband's Permission**_. So she's pregnant again.

_*Cut*_

Everything begins to go downhill.

_*End Opening Song*_

_*Level UP*_

_*Memories Unlocked*_

_*Three Data Points Assigned Automatically to: Strength. . . Due to Paternal DNA*_

_*Commence Character Story Line*_

It's difficult to accept this new life. Or, maybe the difficult part is coming to terms with memories of an obsolete world. Memories of a Generation that is long dead, and that I never. .Although, considering that I never had any knowledge of politics or ever kept up with current events, it's not too unreasonable that I never noticed the world around me gaining superpowers. Or 'Quirks', as they're called. I hadn't lived past 2020. Apparently, by 2050 roughly five percent of the population were born with these Quirks. And now?

Nearly two-hundred years later and it's eighty percent. And society has stagnated. No advancements made in technology with the sole exception of gadgets and weapons made exclusively for _Heroes_. I spend all up until four years old -a brother and sister are born, a mirror of a lost life- simply observing the world around me. Watching and learning. As much as I can access, anyway. My mother, who is originally from Japan, teaches me how to speak the language. She's not the same as my first mom. That itself is a blessing. And . .this new man is not my father. I'm not sure why he doesn't see it. Perhaps he just isn't showing it? Or he's in denial. His eyes are dark blue-gray, while mine are of the sky. His hair is a riot of dark ringlets, as opposed to my wild mix of golden spikes and 2B type waves. My brother and sister, both half-siblings, _are_ his legitimate children.

It's my Quirk that tells me the truth. I call it 'Game Mode'. When I focus on. . ._anything_, I can see Data about it. Words just sort of appear next to them. For people it kind of looks like. .

_Name / Age / Sex_

_Gender / Sexuality / Quirk_

_Strengths_

_Weaknesses_

_Core Belief_

_Current EL (Emotional Levels)_

Something like that, anyway. But it appears like it's computer code. I tell no one. I doubt they'd believe me. It's a drastic mutation of my mom's Quirk, which is called 'Blueprint'. She can 'see' the entire structure of a building and detect anyone inside. Her limit on this is about five miles in any direction. She has a Hero License, and works at a 'Rescue' Agency called Hype Rescue. Nathan, a man I will never call 'Dad', divorces her. Another mirror of my first life. After a DNA test, she gains custody of me alone. If she were a more public figure, the press might have made her life a nightmare for this. As it is, she's a borderline Underground Hero. Plus it's America, so. . .

Except . . we move. I don't have any friends anyway, and Mom wants to get away from _Nathan_. My younger siblings, both adoring of our Mom, probably hate me for this. Yet another mirror of an obsolete life.

Mom has our name, family name, changed. Atsushi Rumi and Atsushi Kana. Then Mom gets all the people she's worked with to write official recommendation letters, and makes sure she'll have a job when we get to Japan.

The plane ride there, aside from takeoff and landing, is boring. But I can't manage to fall asleep. My nerves are acting up. A part of me feels ashamed for feeling so anxious, but. . I've never been outside the US before. I've always wanted to go to Japan. And now I speak the language, even if my handwriting is pretty shitty.

The sun is high overhead when we arrive to more beat-up looking part of town. Mom likes her privacy and can already pick up how low-maintenance I am. (Entirely because being told no so many times sort of conditioned me to not ask in the first place {In my first life}) I can adapt to this. The top floor. It's a nice surprise when I look out and don't experience the terror I had with heights the first time. Falling, however, is still a, in my opinion, completely rational fear. Mom gives me an amused little smile when I grin at her. She holds the door open for me. It's got plenty of room, and the furniture has already been set up.

There's a half-bathroom for guests, and a bathroom connected directly to either bedroom. Good for privacy. I take my time unpacking my bags, and put three posters on one wall. One is of Mom in her Hero costume as 'Search', which isn't an official poster because she doesn't have any merchandise (I just blew up a picture I found in a photo album). The largest is of a less popular American Hero named 'Raid', and lastly is the poster of a band called 'Rewound Ivy' that reminds me of both Bloodhound Gang and Icon For Hire. I doubt I'll get more. While I can do what Mom does with her Quirk, and more, I'm not sure being a Hero is what I want to do.

It's not like anyone can really stop me from using my Quirk, since it's more of a mental thing. Plus, I just don't think I could handle being so . .public. If I wanted to be a Hero, even an Underground Hero, I'd have to know more about politics. Or have a partner who does. Ugghh.

"What are thinking about?" Mom has been speaking nothing but Japanese to help me smooth out my accent.

". . .I'm not sure if I want to be a Hero."

She scoops me up into a hug. "Oh, little bird. You don't have to be a Hero if you don't want to."

I can't quite meet her eyes. Mom runs a hand through my hair to sooth me. Every chance she gets, she gives me as much physical affection as she can.

"Kana, I will always be proud of you."

The dam breaks. All the emotional bullshit from my first life pours out through my eyes. My face is on fire. I don't make a sound, choking on words that won't come. Short breaths. My head throbs. Mom holds me through all of it. I love her. So much. She supports me and loves me with every ounce of her being.

I think I fall asleep crying.

**{Skip To Next Day}**

Mom gives me directions to the 'Nursery' school I'll be going to, and then leaves for work. But right as I make my way to the stairs. . .

"Oh, Are you headed to Rellia Nursery?" It's a slim woman with pin-straight, dark green hair half done up.

She smiles kindly at me, bright emerald eyes sparkling.

_Midoriya Inko / 29 / Female_

_Female / Pan / Small Object Attraction_

_Supportive, protective, observant, cautious, understanding, open-minded, good cook_

_Anxiety, guilt over son, guilt and resentment towards husband, guilt-eating_

_Protect and Support Son_

_Content_

Huh. . "Yes, ma'am."

"Would you like to walk with us?" She nudges a small figure at her side.

He has green hair, like his Mom, but it's a mess of curls, and his face is covered in freckles.

_Midoriya Izuku / 5 / Male_

_Male / Bi / No Quirk_

_Not Yet Developed Fully_

Not Yet Developed Fully

_Heroes Protect And Help People_

_Excited_

"Sure. ." I offer a small grin. "My name's Atsushi Kana, but you can call me 'Kana' "

"Midoriya Inko." Her whole posture is relaxed. "And this is-"

"Midoriya Izuku!" He beams at me. "Future Hero!"

Oh. He's _adorable_.

_Achievement Unlocked: First Friend_

_Achievement Unlocked: Friend For Life_

"What kind?"

He blinks owlishly.

"There's lots of different kinds of Heroes." He looks _enchanted_. "Ranked, Underground, Rescue, Medic, International. . ."

His smile is blinding. Inko has this strange look on her face. Oh, now I've done it.

Izuku clings to me the whole way to Rellia, all while enthusing about Pro Heroes. I silently promise myself that I'll make a copy of Mom's poster to give to him. Already, I've made a friend. Friend for _life_, if the Achievement is correct. He's certainly passionate about Heroes. It's always been fascinating, to me, when someone is so into something that they can talk about it for hours. Our somewhat one-sided conversation eventually circles to 'All Might'. The No. 1 Ranked Hero in Japan. A person that I've never heard of.

"He's so cool!"

"Yeah, but have you heard of Raid?"

Inko gives us both a fond smile and hugs Izuku tight before signing us in. Izuku explains that she's going to work, and that this is the last time she'll be dropping him off. We had to be signed in because we were just a tad bit late.

"Hey, _Deku_, who's your new friend!?" A haughty voice calls out.

Izuku pales, looks at the ground shaking a little. Oh. Bullies. I fix a flat, unimpressed expression on my face. Direct is at the crowding kids.

"Back off." I channel all the intimidation I can.

". .Scary." They shudder as one.

"Who the fuck are you!?" Okay, all but one.

_Bakugo Katsuki / 6 / Male_

_Male / Homo / Explosion_

_Not Yet Fully Developed_

_Not Yet Fully Developed_

_I'm Better Than Everyone_

_Angry and Jealous_

His blood red eyes are narrowed dangerously at me. Little explosions dance around his hands. I already don't like him. 'I'm better than everyone'? What kind of person has that as a core belief?

"Ah, our new arrival." A woman, who I believe is our 'babysitter' or whatever, claps to gain the other kid's attention. "This is Atsushi Kana. She's from America."

"If any of you try to bully Izuku, I'll break all the bones in your hands." They, minus _Baka_-go, take a visible step back.

"Wow, okay, why don't we all go play now?" This teacher will never have my respect.

"Izuku?" I offer my hand. "You coming?"

He lights up. "Yeah!"

The energetic green-haired boy nearly bounces on his feet. He's sunshine in human form, I swear. What surprises me, though, is that Bakugo is right behind us. He snarls at a group of boys who try to follow us. The teacher watches us with concern. She can screw right off.

". . And then he just keeps smiling and says, 'I AM HERE!'." Izuku prattles on about All Might. "He's so cool!"

I feel like I personally know the guy now. "It _is_ impressive that there's hardly any collateral damage when he's got a physical Quirk like that."

They both blink at me. Bakugo recovers first.

"That's cuz' he always wins!" The ball of rage grins. "He's the strongest!"

"But he's smart too." They blink at me again. "If he was just strong, and not smart or kind, then he wouldn't have made it to Number One."

". .You're okay. ." Bakugo seems reluctant. "For a nerd."

"Thanks, Dyna_might_." I reply flatly.

"Hey!" Izuku beams at him. "That can be your Hero name!"

Blood eyes avoid the mini green suns. "Whatever."

"Oooo!" That ray of sunshine turns on me. "What about me?!"

". . Starlight." It's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head. "You're a literal ray of sunshine."

"Deku can't be a Hero." Looks like someone wants a beating. "He doesn't have a Quirk."

"So what?" I get right up in his face. "Plenty of Heroes in America don't have a Quirk. You don't need some special power to be a Hero."

There's a sniffle. "You really think I can be a Hero?"

"Of course."

I'll be honest, the sudden crocodile tears freaks me out a little. Bakugo scowls at the waterworks. Ass.

"Good Heroes don't take steaming dumps on other people's dreams." His eyes narrow. "You won't get very far with that attitude."

"Whatever." But his expression doesn't match his tone.

_Achievement Unlocked: Angry Friend_

_Achievement Unlocked: Ultimate Trio_

_Achievement Unlocked: Friendly Rivalry_

_Party Established: Combat, Diplomacy, Stealth_

I hope this doesn't turn out too horribly.

* * *

**Okay! That's the end of the first chapter! Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry if it was a bit rough, of felt too fast. I'll do my best not to rush things. I try to apply my old Theatre teacher's advice. **

**"It's going to feel awkward and slow, but that just means you're doing it right. Make sure you'll come across clearly. Don't try to just spit out your lines so fast that no one understands you or your character."**

**Anyway, don't forget to write and review! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Guys! Welcome back! I'll do my best to update as soon as I can! **

**Thank you for the Reviews! I didn't think I'd get any so soon!**

**Disclaimer: Still Don't Own Any Damn Thing**

* * *

**You Need A Teacher**

Bakugo is still explosive, but he's less of a dick. And Izuku, thankfully, has gained some confidence. Aunt Inko, who is more like a second Mom now, is visibly relieved that Izuku has friends who support him. Well, one friend at least. It's hard to tell when Bak- _Katsuki_ is being supportive since he's always so aggressive. Speaking of _Dynamite_. . .

Our explode-y boy, after nearly a whole year of knowing each other, has giving me a nickname. Brainiac. Yeah. Like the villain. Not that he'd know a fictional villain from two-hundred years ago. Oh, and he finally told his little groupies to 'fuck off'. Literally. Right in front of our glorified nanny. She didn't say a word. They had been trying to gain his favor by messing with _me_. They were too scared of me to pick on Izuku, but apparently not scared enough to stop from targeting me. Logic. I was just ignoring the idiots, but Izuku became increasingly anxious and Katsuki mainly 'exploded' because of his frustration at me for not standing up to them.

I explained to them that I didn't bother acknowledging them because I don't give a single shit about what they think. Katsuki just grinned manically and commented something about 'yeah, just ignore the fucking extras'. He's breaking _something _by calling them background characters, I know it.

So the three of us combined sort of become every teacher's nightmare. Katsuki and I refuse to sit anywhere but next to Izuku no matter what seats the teacher tries to assign us. He's loud and violent, but I'm quiet and intimidating. Izuku is bright and pure. It's a decently balanced combination. Except, towards the middle of the first year of Elementary, I get suspended.

A boy, who's a year above us, tries to touch me. I tell him no, he doesn't listen. Then I tell a teacher, who only tells me to stop lying. Both times I warned exactly what would happen if he didn't stop. He wouldn't stop. Katsuki hadn't been there that day, neither had Izuku. So I break both of the boys hands, and they call my Mom. She's absolutely pissed when I tell her why I did it, but she can't stop the suspension.

Katsuki grins ferally when I tell him and tells me 'good job'. Izuku bawls his eyes out and apologizes for not being there. Mom takes care of the boy's family who threatens to sue, and Aunt Inko volunteers to watch me during the day.

And that leads to. .

Me dressed in an All Might hoodie that Izuku got for my birthday, holding hands with Aunt Inko while she gets her shopping done. As much as I adore Izuku, All Might is not in my top five. In the last year my top five has changed, but All Might will never be one of them.

Aunt Inko has me wait at the front while she goes to grab a buggy. With my Quirk, I notice someone approaching with two more people trailing after.

"You're so cute!" He is _loud_. "Look, I found Mini-Might!"

He's got silky looking golden hair, a mini-moustache, and rectangular glasses covering his blood red eyes. A smile stretches across his whole face. It's sort of hypnotic. I think I just found my new role model.

_Yamada Hizashi / 20 / Male_

_Male / Homo / Voice_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Happy_

I shake my head as the other two catch up. Mr. Yamada raises a blonde eyebrow.

"No?"

"Izuku got me this, but he's not even in my top five." The blonde blinks at me.

So does the woman who appears at his side. "All Might _isn't _your favorite?"

Dark purple hair, eyes like the sky covered by cat eye glasses. She's really pretty.

_Kayama Nemuri / 20 / Female_

_Female / Bi / Somnambulist_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Happy_

What does 'Somnambulist mean? Oh, right. Shit. She just asked me a question.

"Too flashy." They absolutely beam at the man dragging himself over.

A man, I observe, who looks like he was forcibly dragged out of bed and would much rather be taking a nap.

_Aizawa Shota / 20 / Male_

_Male / Ace (Mororomantic) / Erasure_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Content_

"Why aren't you in school?" A logical question.

"Suspended." I inform him. "I broke a boy's hands."

Mr. Yamada recoils a bit. "Why?!"

"I told him not to touch me." There's a frown on my face, I know it.

"Kana-chan!" Aunt Inko rolls over with a concerned expression.

"I'm okay, Aunt Inko." I slip my hand back into hers.

"Hello." She offers a nervous smile. ". . I'm Midoriya Inko."

"Atsushi Kana." I give Aunt Inko's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Your niece is adorable." Ms. Kayama comments. "You can call me Nemuri. These two are Hizashi and Shota."

". .She. .broke a boy's hands?" Mr. Yamada asks.

A frown tugs at her lips. "Yes, that's right. When she told her Sensei that the boy wouldn't leave her alone, she was called a liar and ignored."

"They don't do anything to stop the bullying." I shrug it off.

"Well, it was nice meeting you." That was a dismissal if I ever heard one.

I wave back to them as the crowd swallows us. There's a fierce expression on my Aunt's face. She puts me in the buggy.

Oh, she's worried. "No more talking to strangers, okay? Even if they show up on your 'map' in blue."

"Sorry, Auntie." Her face softens.

"It's okay, sweetie." She ruffles my hair. "Just don't do it again."

The rest of the shopping day is uneventful. We manage to get back right before Izuku. He lights up when he spots the hoodie I'm wearing. Then he stands there a minute, jaw hanging open.

"What?" I tug at the sleeves.

His jaw snaps shut. It looks like he's been hypnotized or something. Both hands reach out. . .WTF. Aunt Inko chokes on a laugh. Izuku. . has taken two long strands of hair to make them stick straight up. He looks shook.

". . You look like All Might."

"What? No." He drops my hair.

"All Might did spend time in America before he made his debut in Japan. It would make sense that he wouldn't want it to become public knowledge that he had a kid. All Might is Number One, so he probably has a lot of enemies. Villains aren't above taking hostages, and you don't really have a 'physical' Quirk like All Might, so you'd be vulnerable to kidnapping. And your Mom doesn't have a 'physical Quirk either, but she'd be able to find you without much trouble. Unless-"

"Izuku!" I snap him out of it by shaking him. "All Might is not my Dad. We're both blond. It doesn't mean anything, okay?"

He doesn't look like he believes me. Aunt Inko winks at me and disappears into the kitchen to put up groceries.

"All Might is _not_ my Dad." I reiterate.

Still not convinced. Great. And now I have to lie to him to get him to drop it. If I told him that I don't actually know who my Dad is, he'd do something crazy. Like try to _contact_ All Might.

"My Dad is back in America." I tell him, watching his face drop. "Him and Mom got divorced before we moved here, and he didn't want custody. I don't need a Dad. I've got Mom, and Aunt Inko, and Katsuki, and you."

Tears pool in his eyes. He latches on to me and refuses to let go, except to eat and use the bathroom. We go to sleep curled up together, and I'm fairly sure Auntie snaps a photo of us.

The next day, Auntie trusts me by myself while she goes to work. I pull out my 'Manual' to study.

Not long after I met Izuku and Katsuki, I discovered that I could 'summon' a sort of Guide Book for my Quirk. Izuku, the future Quirk Expert, suggested that if my Quirk really was like a video game thing, then I should be able to materialize a 'How To' book. He was right.

_Game Mode_

Written all in English, since that's my first language. It still trips me up. Every once in a while, I'll forget what something is in English and have to mutter to myself for a minute before I say the word in Japanese and try to remember what it translates to. But, yeah. All in English.

The Guide is thin right now, but increases in volume as I level up. As my 'Party' grows. The Guide has a thing saying that my 'Party' won't be complete until I have two more members. I haven't told Izuku or Katsuki yet. I kind of want to be able to _find_ the other two first. It'll be fantastic.

I clear a space in the living room and set up my Mom's laptop next to my Guide. Put it on YouTube. This is what I usually do before and after school. Watch tutorials of different fighting styles and meditation stuff. I know I'll have to get Mom to sign me up for classes, and find a way to convince Auntie and Katsuki's parents, but that'll take time. Okay, not time, but I need to catch Mom when she's not so busy. I'll probably regret watching these later, when I start classes, but. . .

The first time around I lived in a not so great neighborhood (not that I realized it was that bad until after we moved), so my siblings and I had been taking Tae Kwon Doe classes. I honestly can't remember enough of it for that information to be of any use.

But Katsuki and Izuku want to be Heroes. Izuku and I (with me not having a 'physical' Quirk) are going to have to work ten times harder to reach that goal. Though if I'm honest, I don't personally care about becoming a Hero. It's just that someone has to keep those two balanced. (But then maybe it's Izuku that balances us out).

Inko strolls in with Izuku in tow, and we sit in the living room. Papers and notebooks spread across the table, each of us with a pen in hand. Plans for the future. It's a crazy mix of English and Japanese, but we can both sort of understand it. For the most part.

"Okay, so, when we graduate. . " I set a stack of catalogs down on the table. ". .What Agency would take all three of us? Which one would benefit all of us?"

"All-"

"Not All Might's Agency."

He deflates a bit. Crap. Now I feel bad, but this can't go on.

"Look, Izuku." I lean back against the couch. "The two of us will probably never be Ranked Heroes. But that doesn't matter, does it? As long as we help people?"

"Yeah!" Looks like his enthusiasm has returned. "Let's make our own Agency!"

"That's actually a good idea." I chew on the edge of my nails. "We could establish a multi-functional thing with different branches. Katsuki is going for Ranked, so he can. .We'd have to find someone to co-lead that can handle his aggression."

"The two of us can take care of both Underground and Rescue tracks!" Izuku contemplates. "Your Quirk is best suited for Rescue or hostage situations. Kidnappings too. You can see the Villains emotional state, tell me, and I can calm them down -or distract them- enough for someone to sneak in and subdue them. We wouldn't get to work a lot with Kacchan, but I don't think he'll mind. We might run into trouble setting up a Medical branch, though. Most people who have healing Quirks, or just Medical skills, tend to become Doctors instead of Heroes."

"That's because the Entrance Exam for most Hero Schools favor people with. .ya know." I roll my shoulders to adjust my position. "Quirks that are mainly straight forward combat type Quirks. . . We'll have to learn hand-to-hand."

"There's a free gym not too far from here." Both of us jump when Auntie appears with a tray full of food. "It's open on the weekends too."

"That sounds like permission!" I shoot Izuku a grin.

He's much more eager now. Auntie rolls her eyes at us, but smiles fondly.

It doesn't take long to convince Katsuki's parents. I let Izuku handle the talking. Explody's Mom scares me a bit. So, yeah, it doesn't take long to convince them.

The gym is empty when we get there with the exception of a Teacher. He's tall and lean, with piercing golden eyes and wild ink hair styled in an undercut. The man's eyes bore into us when we get closer.

_Yota Rikiya / 27 / Male_

_Non-Binary / Ace (Aeromantic) / Quirk-Sense_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Curious_

He-_They_ are on my Map in yellow, which means they're neutral. Katsuki stares them down. Izuku ducks back a little. Yota-san raises an eyebrow at us. Me in particular. I step forward, ignoring Katsuki's complaining.

"Hello!" I tug at the edge of my t-shirt. "I'm Kana, and these two are Katsuki and Izuku."

"Yota Rikiya. . " They grin at me. "But _you _already knew that, didn't you?"

"Yota-san can sense what a person's Quirk is." I say it mainly for Izuku's benefit.

His green eyes light up. I can almost see the gears turning. Katsuki, surprisingly, says nothing. Yota-san leans back against the far stone wall of the gym. They tilt their head to the side.

"What are you kids doing here?"

"None of your fucking business, asshole."

"Hero training!"

I _wheeze_ at the two different answers my boys give. Yota-san snorts at us. Rolls their eyes. They might be laughing at us.

"What the fuck are you laughing at?!"

Yep, they are laughing at us. Yota-san shakes their head.

"Guess you better go find an instructor, then." They gesture to a stereo. "I only teach dance."

"That's perfect!" All three of them stare at me.

Oh. I, uh, hadn't meant to say that out loud. Katsuki's eye twitches slightly. Little explosions dance around his hands. Izuku is confused, and Yota-san looks like I've made their week.

"Dance helps with stamina, speed, flexibility, and coordination." Explody's eye's clear. "It's also fun!"

Yota-san beams at me like I've just made some heartfelt speech. My broccoli boy bounces on his feet. Reluctance is the best I'm gonna get out of Katsuki at this point.

". . Alright. .I'll teach you." A deeply oppressive aura fills the room. "But you listen to my instructions to the letter. I say jump, you ask 'how high?'. We'll meet every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Understand?"

"Yes, Sensei!" The three of us snap at once.

_Achievement Unlocked: Protective Older Sibling_

WTF

_Achievement Unlocked: Official Training Start_

_Goal Set: Advance To Novice_

_Goal Requirement: Learn Dance Basics, Teacher Acknowledgement _

Oh. That's actually kind of cool. In my last life I wanted to learn dance, because I thought it'd be a fun way to 'exercise', but never got around to it. That first achievement, though. Does that apply to all three of us or just me? A creepy grins twits it's way onto our new Sensei's face. Please not just me. I think I might've made a mistake.

_Achievement Unlocked: Wuss_

What. The. Hell. Seriously? I'm being trolled by my own Quirk? Screw yourself, Quirk.

_Achievement Unlocked: Crappy Comeback_

_Goal Unlock: Become Better At Comebacks_

_Goal Requirement: Grow a pair, or Take Notes From Katsuki, or Pick Up A Dictionary, or Google 'Good Comebacks'_

Wow. Okay, that stings a little. And now I think my Quirk might be sentient. That's nice. Maybe I need to study the Guide a bit more closely. Or see a therapist just in case.

Izuku nudges me with his shoulder. Both he and Katsuki stare at me expectantly. Yota-Sensei crosses their arms.

"Okay, kids, first lesson. . "

* * *

**Woo! Alright! Got the second chapter done already! Next chapter is gonna be great, I swear! Also, I've never written a Non-Binary character before, so I hope I did good! R&R my lovely readers! You guys are the best! See ya next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, here goes nothing guys! Sorry for taking so long!**

**Thank you for all your support!**

**Disclaimer: I Own Nothing!**

* * *

**Helping Hand**

My suspension ends without much fanfare, and things are different at school. The other kids avoid me like the plague. Like I'm contagious. If I didn't have Izuku and Katsuki, the treatment might've stung a bit. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't give a crap what these bullies think of me. Or the staff, for that matter. They should consider- No, you know what? I'm about to be such a pain.

Katsuki is right on board, but Izuku doesn't want to cause any waves. We, or rather _I, _let him know that we'll make sure he isn't linked back to any of it. Then again, if we do it right then, neither of us will be connected anyway.

We're going to prank the school. Furniture glued to the ceiling, offices covered in sticky notes, stuff like that. Every week until the end of the school year. it drives the staff mad. The teacher who suspended me gives me the stink eye. Every. Day. He's got a personal vendetta, because he came very close to losing his job. This vendetta, unfortunately, get's me suspended _again_ only a week before the end of school . . .Maybe it's not so bad, though. That just means less school.

Surprisingly, it's Katsuki who gets on my case about it.

"UA won't accept you if you have a spotty record!" Not a single curse word, just to prove how pissed he is.

"There are other Hero schools." Katsuki howls out a string of curse words so violent and descriptive that I think he might've given me Cancer.

Izuku's 'I'm disappointed' expression tears right into my soul. Villains ain't gonna stand a chance.

It's Mom's reaction that gets all of us. She lets me know that I won't be going back to that school. Which means I won't be at the same school as my friends until Junior High. Maybe. None of us like that at all. . . But there's really nothing we can do about it. At least I won't be moving. It'll just be a longer walk. By myself.

Yota-Sensei takes our minds off it by drilling us right into the ground. They're the toughest Teacher I've ever had. Our dance training coming along great, though. It's peaceful in a way.

Right up until Izuku starts chasing after Hero fights. Katsuki is right there with him, but I don't want any part of it. Too bad for me. I don't see what's so great about it. Yeah, I broke a kid's hands, but grabbing or touching me without my permission is a big no. That kid had pushed me way pass my limit, and I still feel guilty about it. If my two friends didn't want to be Heroes, or if they hadn't been my friends, I wouldn't even think about becoming one. Guess I just don't want to be left behind.

Really, I should've expected Murphy's Law to come into play.

Katsuki is at home, he won't tell us what he did to get in trouble with his parents. So it's just me and Izuku. And the green ray of sunshine, with his book of notes on various Heroes, somehow manages to get us front seats to the (most likely) biggest Hero fight of the year. It's the top two Heroes. All Might and Endeavor. They fight a Villain calling himself Douse. The Villain's name is somewhat misleading.

_Hisato Yayoi / 17 / Female_

_Female / Pan / Absorption_

_Clever, fast, highly-trained, loyal, protective, patient, open-minded, mean left hook_

_Children, animals_

_The Next Generation Must Be Protected_

**_WARNING:_****_Currently Being Held Under Mind__ Manipulation_**

What? What kind of message is that?! I've never seen something like that before. My Map, true enough, shows her in Blue. But. There's a thin Red line connected to her. It makes her head a bright Red too. There's a man in the crowd, a sick grin twisting across his face. And he shows up in such a dark shade of Red that it's almost black.

_Kaeomon / 36 / Male_

_Male / Ace / Mind_

_Restricted_

_Restricted_

_Restricted_

_Restricted_

**_ERROR _**

**_HacK IN PROGRESS_**

**_DISSCONCECT IMMEDIATELY_**

I look away sharply. The flashing stops. My hands are shaking. Izuku is still focused on the fight. _This isn't right. I need to do something_. But I can't. _They'll hurt her. It's not her fault, she'll be imprisoned. _No, I can't get involved in this. The manipulator will just turn on _me_. He might -_will_\- get away clean, but I'm not a Hero (_You could be). _

My best friend, a literal ray of sunshine, is transfixed. He wouldn't be fazed if I disappeared into the crowd for a minute. Might not even notice. And I can find him again, easy. How would I stop Kaeomon, though? Who would believe me? _Does it matter? Someone's life is on the line._ Once more, I look from my friend, to the fight, and back. How can I. .? There's a police officer close by, but not close enough to be heard by Izuku _or _Kaeomon.

"Excuse me, sir?" He blinks down at me. "My name is Kana. I . . saw something and thought someone needed to know."

"Uhhh . .What did you see, Kana-chan?" He crouches down to eye-level.

I move next to him so that we face the same direction. "Make Map Visible."

A digital Map of the nearby area appears right below eye-level. Blue and Yellow scattered across to represent the people. I point to the 'Villain's' representation.

"Look, it's blue, but her head isn't and it connects to this guy in the crowd." His eyes widen into saucers.

"Thank you, Kana-chan." He ruffles my hair. "Please wait here."

I don't. I flock back to Izuku the second the officer turns his back to call it in. _Good job._

"What are they doing?!" A cry of shock.

I catch Izuku's pen as he drops it. "They stopped fighting her."

Yes, they have. The top two Pros circle her, but don't attack. To everyone else, it appears that the Pros are planning something. They aren't. Yayoi collapses like a puppet whose stings have been cut. All Might catches her. Endeavor looks like he'd rather eat the dirt off his shoes than be anywhere near the Number One Hero. The crowd parts for a group of Police who have Kaeomon in Quirk-blocking handcuffs.

I tug at Izuku. "C'mon, let's go."

Before the Policeman I spoke to sees me. We need to head back anyway. Katsuki is probably watching the News, waiting for us to come by and tell him in person. Auntie is definitely going to be worried. Forget that, I'm worried. The two of us need to leave now.

"Izuku!"

"They're coming over here!" He squeals in delight.

He's right. It's the officer I spoke to closely followed by All Might, who has handed Yayoi over to the waiting Paramedics, and Endeavor. Oh crap. Izuku practically vibrates in place. I latch onto him like a lifeline. I do _not_ need this kind of attention. That's it, time to test a theory.

Can I 'Fast Travel'?

I clear my mind, a picture forming. Auntie's living room. I hold tight to Izuku. They get closer, the crowd parts.

_Achievement Unlocked: Fast Travel Discovered_

_Achievement Unlocked: Anonymous Helper_

_Achievement Unlocked: Search Party_

Auntie is staring at the tv. Both the Police and the Pros are combing through the crowd. The News Anchors speculate over what, or who, they could possibly be looking for. Izuku is pale, eyes unfocused. He vomits on the hardwood floor. Auntie snaps to face us.

"Izuku!"

I cringe. "Sorry, Starlight."

My head is _throbbing_. My nose tickles. Snot runs. Oh, that's just great. But I blink and I'm laying on the floor. Auntie and Izuku both stare down at me, clearly horrified. The words lodge in my throat. Did someone stab me in the head?

_Achievement Unlocked: Overexertion _

Oh. I pushed my Quirk pass it's limits. Auntie presses a cloth to my face. Then she scoops me up and puts me on the couch. A cool washcloth is put on my forehead. Izuku clings.

"Mom is cleaning up the mess." Tears well up in his eyes.

"Sorry, Izuku." _No you're not_. "I got nervous."

". . What was that?" His eyes gleam.

"Fast Travel." I pull the washcloth to cover my eyes. "My head hurts."

"You took us pretty far. . "

"Uggg. . " I don't want to brain anymore.

My splitting headache is gone when I open my eyes. Guess I fell asleep. The washcloth is gone. Izuku curls against my side. Katsuki is here too. My head is in his lap. He's staring at the tv.

"The cops are looking for you, Brainiac." His voice is quiet.

"Crap."

"What did you do?" He's not cursing.

"I . . " How do I explain? "Douse was being mind controlled. . ."

"So _you _told the cops, and now they're trying to find you."

"Well, we aren't trying anymore." Shit.

Dark hair and eyes, not quite a uniform. And both of the Pros are with him. Double shit. Quadruple shit. Auntie, sitting in the armchair, fidgets nervously.

"We just wanted to thank you for your help today." All Might is quieter than I imagined him.

Endeavor grunts, turns away. Why did they bring this guy? Because he was in the fight? Lame reason. I tense, ready to flash away. Katsuki tugs my hair. He glares at me. Then shifts to stare at All Might.

I don't say a word. Izuku doesn't wake up.

"Damn it, Brainiac!" My explosive friend growls. "Say something! What kind of future Hero are you?!"

"Underground." I reply flatly.

"Smartass."

"I learned from watching you."

"That doesn't make any fucking sense!"

"You inspire me to be a smartass."

"Ahem." The adults share a look.

"Future Hero?" The. .Policeman (?) smiles at us.

"I want to support Izuku and Katsuki."

"You're doing a great job so far." I resist using my Quirk on any of them.

I don't want to know them. By the time I, _we_, make it to Hero status, they'll likely be retired. That extra information isn't necessary. And I don't want another headache. Endeavor has frozen in place. His cold eyes locked on me.

". .Since when did you have a child, All Might?" His voice is frosty despite having a fire Quirk.

"I Don't!"

"He's not my Dad!"

My face burns. Izuku sits up, rubs his eyes. The second he sees All Might, he freezes. I know he's gonna say something that strips some of my life away before he even opens his mouth.

"Kana, it's your Dad!"

"We talked about this, Izuku."

"When the fuck did _that _happen?!"

"Last time I got suspended for breaking that kid's hands."

I nearly forget that we have company. ". . Suspended?"

It's the Policeman who asks. ". . Auntie says I shouldn't talk to strangers."

"Kana!" Auntie chokes.

"That's me." Katsuki flicks my forehead. "Hey."

"Calm down."

Izuku stops staring at All Might like he hung the moon to face me. He's concerned. _You get snarky and defensive when you're panicking._ I take a deep, shaky breath.

"My head doesn't hurt anymore." But I am hungry.

Auntie, Izuku, and Katsuki all appear relieved. I sag into the couch, my best friends next to me. Auntie smiles softly.

"My name is Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa." The guy I thought was a regular Policeman steps forward. "If. .we could move on. I was hoping to ask you a couple of questions, Kana-chan."

". . Okay." I sit up.

"Your Quirk. .?"

"I call it Game Mode." I chew on my lower lip. "It's a mutation of my Mom's Blueprint. I can do what she can do, but I can also see who is and isn't friendly. Friendly people appear Blue, Yellow is neutral, and Red means they're an enemy."

". . It's registered as 'Displacement'?" I blink at him.

"You'll have to ask my Mom about that." I frown. "I think that's Nathan's Quirk."

"Nathan?"

"Mom's ex-husband." I glance at Auntie. "Is she still at work?"

Auntie nods, her eyes frown. She isn't happy about my Mom not being here. She probably tried to call her home.

". .Okay." Detective Tsukauchi jots something down in a notebook. "What made you want to help?"

What's the right answer? "My conscience told me to."

There's a weird look on his face. All Might fakes a cough to gain our attention.

"Thank you, again, for your help." He declares. "If not for you, then an innocent woman would be in jail and a dangerous Villain would still be on the streets."

"Is Yayoi okay?" I made a mistake.

The three of them, even Endeavor, are statues. Detective Tsukauchi narrows his eyes. They are not pleased, though it's sort of hard to tell with All Might. _They never-_

"We never released her real name." Oh fuck my life.

". . .When I focus on someone, I can see their stats." I shake my head. "But I don't think it works well on Heroes. I can get a name, but the important stuff pops up as 'Access Denied'. Except when I looked at _Kaeomon_, it said 'Restricted' and then I got an Error message. Something about being hacked until I stopped looking at him."

"His Quirk is triggered by eye contact." The Detective explains. "And with a sort of. ._intelligence _Quirk, the warning was likely your Quirk protecting you."

I didn't think of that. _Of course not._

"We should get going." He gestures to the door. "Thank you for your time."

Endeavor is the first out the door. All Might lingers. Detective Tsukauchi briefly turns back to me.

He hands my a card. "Call if you see anything suspicious. A helping hand is always appreciated."

Did he just kind of encourage vigilante behavior? _No. He's saying to contact the Police, not to get involved. _Right.

I'm tackled in a hug the second they leave. Auntie and Izuku are both sobbing. Katsuki scoffs and scoots away. _These people here are your real family. You shouldn't take them for granted. _They really are special, aren't they? I slip the card into my pocket. It never hurts to have connections.

. . I can't believe Summer only just started. This is gonna be a long one, isn't it?

* * *

**Holy Crap, guys. This wasn't originally how I was gonna have it go, but. .I hope it turned out okay. Next chapter is Summer time! This one is too, but it's just the start. And then a new school. See y'all next time! **


	4. Chapter 4

**You guys are the best! Here's another chapter, folks! Summer time!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!**

* * *

**Leader**

I stop going with Izuku and Katsuki to Hero fights. There's a reason I'd rather be Underground. _Because you'd have to be the picture of morality_. Yeah, whatever. So I don't tag along with them. Instead I practice my dancing more, and meet up with Yota-Sensei more often. Which leads to. .

"Kana-chan, this is my best friend, Shogo Isano, and her younger brother." Yota-Sensei introduces us. "Isano, Ryoji-kun, this is one of my students; Atsushi Kana."

Both have piercing violet eyes and dark blue hair. Ryoji, however, looks like he spends all his time in the sun. Isano is pale with bags under her eyes. Both are polite, though. Even if Isano teases Yota-Sensei without mercy. Her brother is my age and has an augmentation Quirk. But what gets me is. .

_Achievement Unlocked: Team Leader_

_Achievement Unlocked: Another Brother_

_Achievement Unlocked: Ultimate Duo_

A fourth member. And he's supposed to be our Leader. _And a second brother_. Katsuki won't like this, but he can get over it. . . . Well. .

"Nee-chan teaches hand-to-hand." Ryoji reveals.

"That's why I asked her to come today." Yota-Sensei informs me. "She agreed to meet you. But. Even if she agrees, that doesn't mean you can slack with me."

"You got it, Yota-Sensei!" I bow politely to Isano. "Thank you for your time, Shogo-san."

"Heh." Isano smirks at me. "At least you've got manners. Where are the other two?"

"Watching Hero fights."

Yota-Sensei shares a look with Isano, who does not look pleased. _Maybe she doesn't like Heroes. Or it could be . ._

"I won't teach them." A lump forms in my throat. "I don't teach reckless fools who needlessly go to dangerous places. They can just as easily watch them on the News."

"Don't Heroes-"

"Heroes have years of training and discipline behind them when they fight." Her face is stern. "They also know when not to get involved and when they're not needed."

"Yes, Shogo-san."

"Enough of that." She waves a hand as if to dismiss the previous topic. "Yota mentioned your goal to be an Underground Hero."

"I want to support my friends, but I don't want all the attention." I reply. "I don't like big crowds."

"To support your friends. .?" Isano gives a side glance to Yota-Sensei. "That is a more noble goal than a majority of Heroes today."

Ryoji steps up next to me. He's shorter by half a foot, and that amuses me for some reason. _Katsuki and Izuku are nearly your height_. My new Party member offers an encouraging smile. It's oddly reassuring. Isano's expression softens.

"Alright." She nods. "I'll train you at the same time as my cute Otouto."

Ryoji doesn't make a remark about being called cute. He just shoots a sly look her way.

"Don't you have a date?" Her face is cherry red.

"It's not-!" Isano cuts herself off, turning to Yota-Sensei. "I . . do have a date, actually."

"Congrats." Yota-Sensei smirks. "Don't keep her waiting. I'll keep the kids entertained."

"We begin tomorrow." Isano nods to me, not bothering to respond to the taunt. "Thursday and Friday every week. Be here at five in the morning or don't bother showing up. I'll be back."

"Bye, Nee-chan."

"See you, Otouto."

We turn back to Yota-Sensei expectantly. They raise an eyebrow. Their lips curl upward.

"Do what you want. This is your only free day."

"Sundays and Mondays-"

"Don't push it."

Ryoji links arms with me and leads me out. "I know a great ice cream place."

"Do they have mint chocolate?" A smile stretches across my face.

"I like your style."

Ryoji isn't like Katsuki or Izuku. He's not quite as silent as I am, but he has confidence and this charismatic aura around him. No wonder my Quirk sees him as our Leader. Also, he has a different kind of smart. Katsuki, despite his constant anger, is a natural genius. Izuku is analytical, as he can break down Quirks, _and people with the right training_, within a few minutes of seeing them in action. Then there's me. Rather than smart, I can be clever, which is not actually the same thing. Due to this 'not being my first Rodeo', I come up with the off-the-wall solutions the other two wouldn't have thought of. It also means that I can convince them to eat weird combinations of food by telling them that it's either 'an American thing' or 'something from my culture'. Watching the absolute disgust on their features when I got them to put honey mustard on their ice cream was priceless. But. On to Ryoji.

He, like the rest of us, has a different type of smart. Ryoji is. . people smart. Or street smart. Whichever. The blue-haired boy takes us on a path that very obviously avoids where I normally walk. It's an area that usually has the most Yellow. When I point this out, Ryoji lets me know I'm lucky that I haven't been kidnapped yet. Guess I'm definitely not street smart. _Because you can't put yourself in another person's perspective, and therefore can't understand why others don't behave like you do. _Right. Like, what could make someone want to hurt an animal? Animals are better than people, regardless.

My, _our_, new Leader does not necessarily want to be a Hero. But we discuss the pros and cons, and Ryoji is sold. He'll be a fantastic co-leader to Katsuki if we do manage our own Agency.

It's peaceful, talking to Ryoji. No overexcited fanboy squealing, or enraged yelling, or curse words every other word. Speech flows smoothly from me instead of me having to constantly focus on my words to stay coherent. Even in English, I sometimes need to go back and repeat what I said so that it comes out clearly. Which is why I mostly stay silent. But hanging out with Ryoji is different. He's patient and non-judging.

His parents both work as Sidekicks at the same Agency as my Mom. Isano, his older sister and our trainer, decided against the Hero path. Too much energy to give for other people, she had explained to him.

"You don't like crowds?" Ryoji eventually asks.

"No." I shake my head. "Too many people for my Quirk to keep track of. I get a bad headache and start to go into an anxiety attack."

"Not a panic attack?"

"They're not the same." With a shrug. "Panic attacks come at you out of nowhere. They don't last as long, but it feels like your heart is being ripped right out of your chest. Anxiety attacks are caused by certain . . circumstances depending on the person. They only last as long as the stressor is present, but is zaps your energy for the rest of the day and you need time alone to regain that energy."

He nods thoughtfully. "You know, you speak more clearly when you're confident about something."

My face heats up at that. It's the most I've talked in a while. Probably the most I've ever talked.

"Or maybe it's because you're easy to talk to." He averts his eyes. "Izuku and Katsuki are fun to train with, to plan with, but they both have such high energy that . .That it's really draining. Or kinov- ugg- _kind of _like staring into the sun."

Ryoji doesn't poke fun of my mistake. "You too. I mean! Not the part about 'Izuku and Katsuki', because I don't know them! But the 'you're easy to talk to' part. The only thing girls I go to school with talk about is boys or strong Quirks."

"I'm focusing on my own path first." Our eyes meet. "When I'm older, then I might think about that stuff."

"Right." He grins broadly.

And then a familiar duo of Blue appears. It's Mr. Aizawa and Mr. Yamada. The blond stops and grins when he spots me.

"Hey, HEY!" He drags his reluctant friend over. "It's the little trouble maker! Kana-chan, right?"

"That's me." Ryoji slides forward to kind of stand in front of me. "This is my friend, Ryoji. Ryoji, this is Yamada-san and Aizawa-san."

Mr. Aizawa's eyes narrow. Loud, blond man isn't so loud. Ryoji links arms with me again. There's something I'm missing here, isn't there? _They never said their full names in front of you, idiot. _Oh. OH. Crap. It's too late now.

"Take a breath." I smile thinly at Ryoji.

He doesn't have time to finish a thought. "Wha-"

_Fast Travel_

We both manage to land on our feet in the gym. My new friend turns an interesting shade of green while my head kills me. A tickle in my nose. I wipe it with the back of my hand. And it's not snot. It's blood. So that's why Auntie was so upset before. At least I don't pass out this time.

"That's one way to travel." Yota-Sensei frowns down at me. "But you might've overdone it."

"Ryoji?" His eyes lock on the blood dripping down my chin. "You okay? Sorry about Jumping like that. At least I didn't pass out this time."

". .You _passed out_ 'last time'?" Yota-Sensei's voice is deadly quiet.

I have to hide my eyes from the suddenly blinding light. Everything spins for a second. A pair of arms scoop me up. Yota-Sensei lays me down on a yoga mat. They shake their head.

"There's no couch, so that's the best you'll get." They stand. "I'll find a washcloth or something."

Then Ryoji is there, playing with my hair. His hands falter for a moment.

". . 'Ryoji'?" It sounds like he's blushing.

Right, I forgot how formal Japanese people can be. "Is that okay? You can call me Kana, if you want."

"Yeah, that's. .I'd like that." He doesn't bother protesting or seem against it.

Yota-Sensei comes back with both a box of tissues and a damp washcloth. I wipe off the blood and press the cloth to my forehead. The relief is instant. A flick to my nose makes me jump. My Sensei glares down at me.

"Well, I'll have to let Isano know to train you with that too." Yota-Sensei says evenly. "So you won't give any of us a heart attack when you show up bleeding and tired."

"I felt like I was going to throw up." Ryoji unhelpfully adds.

"Izuku did throw up." Why did I say something that's only digging my grave deeper?

"Nice."

"Yeah, I don't think he landed on his feet either."

Ryoji _wheezes_. He leans against the wall for support. His laughter is contagious. Even Yota-Sensei snorts at us.

"I'm glad you're getting along." There's a genuine smile in their voice.

"Did you doubt me, Sensei?"

"Someone's getting snarky. It's about time, brat."

The ache clears and I remove the now dry cloth. Yota-Sensei takes it without a word. My family's getting bigger, huh? _That's right, let the love in_. My chest is light. I didn't realize there was any weight there before. It's nice. I scoot over to the wall and lean next to Ryoji. He nudges my shoulder a little.

"The day's not even half-over and I feel great." I kick my shoes off.

"Nee-chan won't be back for another hour or two."

A peaceful silence rests between us. Yota-Sensei has given us some space. I imagine, even though I've known Izuku and Katsuki longer, Ryoji has already slotted himself into the best friend roll. He inspires me to be confident.

"Want to dance?"

His grin is all the answer I need. My new friend twists off the ground gracefully, and then offers a hand.

I can't wait for him to meet the other two.

* * *

**Whew! Okay, more OCs! One more Summer chapter and then a new school year! See you guys next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Man am I happy. This many chapters in only a couple of weeks is a miracle. Shout out to TheKursed for all the encouragement! Thank you!**

**Alright, here we go. **

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything!**

* * *

**Beginning **

Katsuki does _not _like Ryoji. Not one bit. He challenges the blue-haired boy at every turn with rage and a variety of swears, which get more descriptive with each rejection. Ryoji is having none of Katsuki's shit. Poor Izuku is constantly on the verge of tears. Explodey is still bitter about getting turned down for training by Isano-Sensei. And my new Sensei. . Did end up agreeing to train Izuku. If only because of his rivaling-the-sun personality, and his determination to be a person who helps people. Also, because Izuku agrees to stop actively chasing Hero fights. He can always watch them on tv, after all.

But the boy in our group with the explosive temper will not be getting training from Isano-Sensei anytime soon. Yota-Sensei threatens to stop lessons too unless the blond stops swearing at both Ryoji and Isano-Sensei. _They__ won't lie down and let Katsuki insult their best friend or her Otouto. _He, incredibly reluctantly, ceases his fowl use of language towards either of them.

I don't need to use my Quirk to know that my blond friend is clearly jealous. It's kind of instinctive for him. So there's a one-sided fight between the two. Ryoji just shoots me this look and ignores Katsuki.

"He's an ass." Ryoji shakes his head. "How are you friends with him?"

"Katsuki is just aggressive." I reply with a shrug. "And he doesn't really know how to express his emotions unless it's through rage."

He nods in understanding. "So. .toxic masculinity?"

"Not quite." It's complicated. "He respects strong women, and treats everyone equally, but his. .Core Belief is that he's better than everyone. No one tells him differently."

"So he's basically a bully and all of the authority figures in his life encourage it."

Our sessions are cancelled for the rest of the summer after that conversation. Ryoji and I meet up on our own time, but the other two never show up. It's fine, really, since Ryoji and I train on our own to improve. We develop a style of fighting together that strengthens our partnership by leaps. And, because my luck isn't as great as I thought it was, we run into Isano-Sensei while she's on a double date.

"Well if it isn't my cute Otouto and adorable student." Isano-Sensei leans over a vine-covered fence that separates an outdoor café from the sidewalk.

"Isano-Sensei!"

"Nee-chan?"

She picks both of us up with ease and sets us next to a table with three other people. Isano-Sensei drags two chairs over and stares at us expectantly. Then- Oh crap, I know these people. Ryoji freezes next to me.

"Kana-chan, right?" Mr- _Yamada-san_ leans forward. "We met a couple of times."

"This is the student you told us about?" Kayama-san grins slyly at me. "Are you two out on a date too?"

"No." Ryoji and I answer as one.

"Where are you two headed?" Sensei is suspicious now.

"Down the street." She flicks me in the forehead. "Ow."

"Our super secret lair." He gets a flick too. "Step up your game, Nee-chan."

"Get on our level, Sensei."

"Why do I want to go down twenty floors?"

"Oww." I give her a 'kicked puppy' look.

Ryoji pretends his hand is a phone. "Hello, police? I think I just witnessed a murder."

Yamada-san and Kayama-san break down into a fit of laughter. Aizawa-san looks like he's trying to fight off a headache. What a great bonding experience that I hope makes them forget that I know their names and they didn't tell me. _Yeah, keep dreaming_.

"We're gonna go jump off of rooftops." It's the truth this time instead of a smartass answer.

"Stay safe." Isano-Sensei quips.

"I don't know where I'd by a bungee chord from." I retort.

"Or a parachute." Ryoji continues.

"Tuck and roll." Aizawa-san inputs. "Try not to break anything."

"Yeah, I don't want to be arrested for property damage." Ryoji nods to me.

"I just want to see if I can Fast Travel in mid-air." I shrug. "I can do it without getting a headache or a nosebleed now."

"By herself." My bestie nudges me. "She still gets dizzy if she takes someone with her."

"But no bleeding."

"As long as it's less than a mile away."

"Absolutely not." There's a deadly glare on Isano-Sensei's face. "And if I find out you tried without my supervision or permission, I'll be having a chat with your mother."

I chew the inside of my cheek to stop myself from saying something like 'if you can find her, let me know'. My Mom either hasn't been home in weeks, or she just comes and goes while I'm asleep. _Don't waste your time thinking about it_.

"Yes, Sensei." Ryoji answers with me.

"Go on home, okay?" She says.

I don't tell her that there's no one there anyway. "Okay."

"See you tomorrow, Kana."

"See ya, Ryoji."

The surface under my feet changes and I'm in my bedroom. I immediately slide under my bed. I pull the flip phone out of my shoe. Then the card I keep in my sock.

Beep. "This is Detective Tsukauchi. Sorry if I missed your call. Leave a message with your name and number, and I'll get back to you as quickly as I can." Beeeep.

"Detective?" I keep my voice low. "This is Kana. There are three intruders in my apartment. Mom isn't here. . .Can you tell my family I love them? Just in case. . I hope you get this."

The phone snaps shut as I'm dragged out by my ankle. I shove the card into my mouth and chew it up.

"What is that?!" Rough hands try to pry my jaw open. "Spit it out!"

Instead, I swallow it. Oh that's nasty. That card didn't taste good in the least bit and it hurts going down. They throw me hard onto the wood floor. Someone kicks me in the back. This isn't good. None of this is good. _Focus, you idiot_.

"Don't kill her." A second voice hisses. "We need the brat alive."

"Doesn't mean she's gotta be in one piece." I need to _go_.

"Ahh!" A hand grabs the back of my head.

My vision dances. Static fills the air. There's an odd ringing sound in my ears. Why is everything so muddy?

**ERROR **

**HEAD TRAUMA DETECTED**

**ERROR**

_Do something, damn it! _The thought cuts through my fog. I let my head roll to the side against the floor. I'm totally numb. Force my body to relax and sag.

"_play. ._ ." The word barley comes out.

_Song Has Been Selected_

_*Now playing Cotton Eye Joe Gregorian Chant Nightcore Hardcore Dubstep Remix*_

_*MAX VOLUME*_

They _scream_. I roll away, grit my teeth, and _run_. Or, since it's still all muddy, I dive out the window. _Tuck aND ROLL!_ Hitting the ground knock all the wind out of me. Did I break something? _Who care?! Run!_ Static dances around me, some of it's in my way. Where am I going? Everything's so blurry.

Why am I running?

. .Tired. . .I'm tired. I jsu . .Not right. Jut- just. I just need a sleep. _NO! _I snap my head up. When did I drop it? _JUMP TO SENSEI! **NOW! **_

Hands catch me. When did I fall?

_*End Song*_

What song? Violet eyes swim in front of me.

"_Lemme bed, Satan._" Wait, was I English?

**_ERROR_**

**_EMERGENCY__ SHUTDOWN_**

Beep. Beep. Beep. . .

Why is my head so heavy? No, everything. My whole body is heavy. There's something in my nose. I think my . .I think one of my hands is restrained. My eyes ache. How come everything is so bright?

". .Kana?"

. . . . "Isano-Sensei?"

"Thank god!" Is she crying?

Don't do that, Sensei. I'm okay. Where are we? I try to ask her, but the words won't form. There's another person. Wait, more than. . ? Why can't I sense them? My Map isn't working.

"We had to put Quirk blocking handcuffs on you." It's the Detective. "To prevent you from . ._teleporting_ while you were concussed."

"I jumped out a window." I recall.

"Damn it, brat." I flinch away from her. "Jesus, I'm sorry, Kana."

"I thought it was the hallway." I can't lift my head up.

"I. .received your message." Detective Tsukauchi steps closer. "You said there were three intruders?"

"Ah. . " What did I. .? "Oh. .They. .wanted me alive. 'S what they said. I blasted dubstep into their ears at max volume."

"That's what that god awful noise was?" Is that Aizawa-san?

"Dubstep never dies." Isano-Sensei chuckles weakly.

"Enough of that!" A short old woman pushes them away. "My patient needs rest! Shoo! You can ask her questions later!"

"Wait. ." They turn to me.

There are one, two, three, . .seven people in the room. None of them are Aunt Inko or my Mom. I meet the Detective's gaze.

"Where's my Mom?" No way would she stay at work with me here.

The man lowers his eyes, stands beside my cot. "How long has it been since you've seen your mother?"

"Ummmm. . . ." I avoid looking at either of my Sensei. "A few weeks. .? But her job's important, so. ."

"Kana. ." There's pity in his gaze. "Your mother hasn't been to work in over a month. Maybe two. . .And we can't find her."

* * *

**I deeply apologize for the cliffhanger. And that it's so much shorter than normal. And for . . well, things sort of escalated, didn't they? I'll update as soon as I can. Hang in there.**

**See you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Guys, I'm so sorry for this. So, so sorry. I just. .It got away from me.**

**And to clarify. .For me too, guys, because I needed to go over this**

**Katsuki - April 20 / Izuku - July 15 / Ryoji - Feb 28 / Kana - Sept 19**

**When they first meet:**

**Bakugo / Izuku - 6**

**Kana - 5**

**Ryoji is introduced / Current Age:**

**Bakugo / Izuku / Ryoji - 8**

**Kana - 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

**In the Wings**

Ryoji shows up a day later and doesn't leave my side. Recovery Girl, a Hero and UA's nurse who only came because Mom is a Pro Hero, doesn't stay long. But Ryoji stays. Not even Isano-Sensei can make him leave. They haven't called Aunt Inko or Katsuki's parents, and I can't bring myself to ask. Yota-Sensei visits, but doesn't linger. They always have this expression on their face that screams 'I know more than I'm saying, but what I know is pissing me off'.

For some reason, I don't think the Pros are trying all that hard to find Mom. An educated guess says they're more worried about someone making another attempt on me. Just a hunch from the number of Pros that I see guarding the place. Each of them have a golden outline to their Blue. I never noticed that before.

The fragile treatment, lack of results, it's making me anxious. That familiar feeling from my first life has returned. The feeling that there's something, _anything_ else I could be doing and I'm failing in some way by just sitting here. Logically, I know I can't do anything. Still makes me think I'm a useless piece of shit. It's a good thing Ryoji is so good with people, because he catches onto my mood real quick.

My bestie talks about everything -literally- with me. He takes my mind off it the best he can. Ryoji helps me stretch and keep from stagnating. The movement helps clear my mind. I don't know what I'd do without him.

On the fourth day, Detective Tsukauchi appears with Pros at his back and declares that Mom is Missing In Action. M.I.A. Yota-Sensei, heavy bags under their eyes that I've never seen before, tells me that they have temporary custody of me. I'll have a Pro escort for the next week or two and they'll review the situation to determine if I'm still at risk. No one tells me why Yamada, Aizawa, or Kayama were there. I don't ask. It was probably more because they might've been there when I appeared in front of Isano-Sensei, rather than the fact that they're Heroes (Not that I know which Heroes, since my Quirk doesn't tell me aliases).

Yota-Sensei is far from happy, but I don't think it's because they're stuck with me. I guess I didn't know as much about my Sensei as I thought I did, because finding out what his job is surprises me. My Sensei is a professional personal trainer. With how good they are at teaching, it should have been easy to see.

Not only that, but their _house_ is in one of the wealthier districts. Isano-Sensei and Ryoji live with them too. Finding _that_ out was a bit more of a shock. Ryoji never did talk about his parents, but always has this sort of understanding expression. My bestie quietly tells me that his parents, who were on the Police force, got caught up in a Villain fight when he was little. Yota-Sensei, knowing that Isano-Sensei wouldn't be able to afford to take care of both of them while also raising Ryoji, let them move in. No wonder she didn't want to teach Izuku or Katsuki at first. Honestly, though, it's a relief to be around all of them.

Ryoji hovers. To anyone else it might be aggravating, but I feel clingy now. Maybe that'll change later, but I'll enjoy it for now. He's taking the protective brother thing to another level. It's nice. I don't think I should be alone right now.

The Pro shows up the day after I move in with a duffel bag at his side. He's fairly new, as I remember Izuku gushing over him. Blitzfire. The man is smaller than I thought he'd be after hearing Izuku talk about him. Just barely average height for a man, and the kind of slim figure I imagine Izuku might have when he's older. This is also the kind of Pro who still bothers with a face mask. The mask itself reminds me of Mortal Kombat with tinted goggles covering his eyes.

A dark, ugly feeling rises in my chest. _Don't do anything stu-_

_Seito Hisoka / 20 / Female_

_Female / Hetero / Blink_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Access Denied_

_Reserved_

That ugly feeling morphs into something else. _You shouldn't have done that. _It's the first time I've felt this way about looking at a person's Data. If she wanted us to know she's a woman, then she'd be public about it.

A grim-faced Ryoji snaps me out of my funk. He leads me to a room in the house- _the dance room_\- that's sound-proof.

He lets out a slow breath. "Let's find your Mom ourselves."

"What?" My head swims.

"If I enhance your _Map_ . . " Realization dawns.

"Then I can locate her!" Why didn't I think of this before?

"And then we can Jump to her!" The swelling warmth is replaced by cold dread.

_No_. "We can't!"

Ryoji flinches back like I slapped him. It would've hurt less.

"I- . . I can't." My voice cracks.

There must be something in my expression setting him off, because now he looks _determined_. Ryoji . . He wants to help, but I just. . .

"What kind of Heroes will we be. . " His jaw sets. ". . If we don't do everything in our power to save someone in trouble?"

"Licensed." Crap, I didn't mean to say that.

For a second he's speechless.

"Like Endeavor." Double crap.

Ryoji blinks at me. Then he pinches himself. Someone up there is laughing at me, I swear. My best friend levels a _look_ at me.

"C'mon, Kana." Ryoji sits straighter. "We've trained together, we can fight _together_. This is our first chance. To prove . ."

"That what? That _kids_ are doing a better job than _Heroes_?!"

"What have they _done_?! Nothing! I thought you'd want to-"

"I'm _scared_."

Ryoji stills. His face falls. There's a new tension in the air. It's almost suffocating. _Tell him_.

"When those guys were in my house. . I couldn't fight them." I don't meet his eyes. "All I could do was distract them and _run_. And after. .When they said Mom was missing. .I didn't know. I _should've known_! But!"

When did I start shaking? "She hadn't been there anyway. Neither was I. . I only ever knew Mom was home because her tv was on. . . Mom supports me, and my decisions. .but . ."

"You don't miss her." His voice is carefully flat. "And you're scared because you don't know if you're ready to risk your life for her. You're scared because you think you'll freeze up and won't be able to do anything. . Or that you won't _feel _anything if we find her. . "

Ryoji really is good at reading people. _He has to be to be your partner_. I feel my face smooth out. When did I scrunch it up like that?

"Well then. ." The fire has returned to his eyes when I finally meet them. "I'll just have to be your courage. You won't be alone this time. Put your faith in me."

His Blue. .is outlined by bright Gold. This is why he's the Leader. There's no tension in the air anymore. Instead, there's a sort of quiet determination. Resolve. Ryoji's strength is almost visible. He holds out his hand to me. I accept it. . .

"Map." I call up the digital grid.

"Expand." Ryoji and I command at the same time.

It grows to nearly half the size of the room. An ache grows in the back of my mind.

"Locate Atsushi Rumi."

_**ERRor DetECTEd**_

A scream, a flash of darkness. . The image of a towering man with a mechanical mask and a spotless suit. .

_"Hello, Kana-chan. Who's your friend?"_

_**ImMEDIate liNK TerMINATION **_

_**EMERGENCY sHUt dowN**_

.

.

.

What? My whole body is sore. My thoughts are heavy. When did I get back to the hospital? . .Did I ever leave? I think the handcuffs are there again.

". . Kana?" A pale-faced Isano-Sensei is perched by my bed.

. .It doesn't look like she's slept for at least a week. " Isano-?"

My voice is dry and rough. Why does my throat hurt? A glass of cool water is pushed against my lips. Why do they feel dry and cracked? The water nearly chokes me, but I manage to swallow. Everything is so bright. .

"Otouto is at home with Rikiya." Isano-Sensei lets out a deep, shaky breath. "He only got a migraine and a nose bleed. . .What were you _thinking_?!"

What is she talking about? I don't- . .oh. Oh. OH. _You combined Quirks to try to find your Mom._ Right. .Who was that? I know I saw _someone_. Isano-Sensei puts a hand on my shoulder.

"That was a rhetorical question. Otouto told me everything. ." Her jaw clenches. "He doesn't know why it effected you like that, but Kana. .You had a seizure. We had to make a deal with the Doctors to keep you in our custody instead of having them admit you into a mental health hospital."

Knowing that my throat is still raw, I try to convey my question through my expression. I think she gets it.

"For the next year, you will not be allowed to use your Quirk without permission _and _direct supervision from your Pro guard."

I can't use my Quirk? For a year? What kiND OF BULLSHIT-?!

Isano-Sensei's eyes narrow dangerously. There is no pity or sympathy in her gaze. Only merciless anger. She might be concerned, but that doesn't mean she's about to let me throw a fit.

"You, like nearly everyone else in the world, rely far too much on your Quirk." Her tone leaves no room for argument. "Think of this as a learning opportunity. For the next year you will train with me _every day_. You won't see Izuku, Katsuki, _or_ Ryoji at all. Not even at dinner or at school. Remember what happens when you do such reckless things and _do better_."

She's not going to go easy on me. I can see it. Isano-Sensei is going to push, and push, and _push_ until I break my limitations. Until I rely on myself instead of my Quirk. Instead of Ryoji. My Sensei will test me and poke at me while she trains me until I drop.

My temper settles. For the next year, I will be _alone_.

* * *

**Okay, sorry about this chapter also being kind of short. . Next chapter will be a time skip, folks. . I might, okay **_**probably**_** will, put flashbacks to the year of solitude training. But not 'till later. Thanks for reading! Don't worry, I'll update as soon as I can. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay, guys, here we go. . **

**Disclaimer: I ****_still_**** don't own any of this and I never will **

* * *

**Party Completed**

Isano-Sensei never goes through with it. Well, not all of it. After a _very _heated discussion (argument) with Yota-Sensei, they don't leave the handcuffs on. But they do homeschool me. Ryoji isn't let off the hook either. We're separated for the whole year. Neither of my Sensei tell me what _his _punishment is.

Blitzfire, despite being relieved of babysitting duty, still comes around. She, along with her Intern, Gunhead (who is in his first year at UA), visit once a week. I plan on getting two new posters when my time is up. They're actually both pretty awesome.

Homeschooling though. . I honestly thought I'd never hate any subject as much as geometry. I was wrong. Isano-Sensei, upon finding out just how awful my reading and writing in Japanese is, gives me remedial lessons. Every. Other. Night. But there's something _wrong_ with the way she's acting. Like she knows something, but she can't tell me.

They schedule a child psychologist to visit once a week too. Just to make sure I'm healing and not shoving all of my emotions to the back of my mind. _Like what you'd been doing_. But I don't tell them about the man I saw. Or the screaming.

I think maybe doing it this way is . . More effective, in a sense. My emotional range isn't like it was _before_, and I can't expect it to ever be like that again. My values are different now. The _world_ is different now. And I already know what Mom would say if she were here. _You don't have to be a Hero_. The isolation sort of helps in a way. It helps me focus on what I really want to do. It helps me find my goal. Whoever that creep was. . I'm going to find him. And make sure he can't hurt anyone else.

So, after a year of healing, and training, and _growing_. .I see my friends again. About a week before School starts up.

They're different from before.

For starters, Izuku is more confident than I've ever seen him. His hair is longer, pulled into a small tail. He's still a literal ray of sunshine though. Ryoji hasn't actually changed all that much. My bestie is taller, but still not taller than me. Maybe I grew too? Anyway, it looks like he's been training too. Katsuki. . The explosive boy has changed the most. Not once does he yell or rage about _anything_. There's still a constant scowl on his face, but I think he calmed down a bit. And. .

_Core Belief Updated: _

_Standing At The Top Means Nothing If I'm Alone_

I don't think I've ever seen someone's Core Belief change before. Something drastic has to have happened. Yota-Sensei catches my stare.

"The reason I discontinued our lessons. ." Yota-Sensei's voice cuts through the air. ". .is because I was taking care of both Midoriya and Bakugo's hang ups. Bakugo especially needed a major attitude adjustment."

"Tch." Katsuki scoffs, but doesn't deny it.

"Tsundere." Did _Izuku _seriously just tease Katsuki?!

"Fuck off, _Starlight_." Have I entered a different dimension?

Pinching myself doesn't work. It does gain their attention though. Ryoji snorts at my reaction. He never tries to get too close.

"Bakugo made a comment a while ago about _you_ needing extra training." Yota-Sensei smirks. "Midoriya hasn't stopped messing with him since. Never thought he'd be the passive aggressive one."

"Really?" I blink at Izuku.

"I'm glad you're okay." He beams at me and wraps me in a bear hug.

"Kana. . " Izuku moves back so I can stand in front of Ryoji. "I'm sorry."

I frown at him. "What?"

"I'm _so _sorry." There are tears in his eyes. "I shouldn't have pushed you into that. All I kept thinking was 'if my parents were just kidnapped and I could find them, then I'd do anything'. But I was being stupid and selfish! You didn't want to-!"

"It's _not_ your fault!" I cut him off.

The room is frozen. My hands tighten into fists. I can't seem to look up from the ground. He can't feel guilty about this. Ryoji _can't_ . . I can't leave this hanging over him. Even if that means. .

". .It's not your fault. . " The words nearly choke me. ". .I was blocked. There was a man. _He knew my name_."

"What?" I don't look up at Yota-Sensei.

"He . . He knew my name."

"Kana-?"

"I'm going to get stronger!" Finally, I force myself to look at them. "And then I'm going to find him _myself_! He's not gonna hurt anyone else!"

My friends, my precious family that have gathered and built around me. . They stare in silence for a minute. Katsuki breaks the still moment.

He stomps right up to me. "Don't be fucking selfish. I want a piece of this asshole too."

"You said we're your Party, right?" Izuku grins _viciously_, a fist raised in front of him. "Then we'll bring him down _together_."

"What kind of leader would I be if I let you do it alone?" Ryoji stands straighter.

"Fuck that cock blocker!" Katsuki growls.

I _wheeze_. Ryoji has to support me so I don't fall over.

"Bakugo, no." Yota-Sensei's lip twitches.

"Bakugo, _yes_!" He explodes back.

My words barely come out. "No, Katsuki. .You don't. .You don't know where. .he's _been_."

This time it's Isano-Sensei who breaks down into wheezing laughter. Leave it to Katsuki to break the tension. Said boy has turned cherry red. Izuku grins slyly.

The little ray of sunshine points to the kitchen. "Go get some water if you're so thirsty."

"_Jesus Christ. ._ !" I spit out in English. "Who taught you that?"

"I made another friend." Izuku shrugs. "Wakana-chan said I should always be ready to make a witty remark. I guess it really pisses off Villains."

"I blame you for this." I inform our resident foul-mouth.

"What the fuck did I do?"

"You left him unattended, didn't you? You know Izuku is impressionable."

A warm feeling grows in my chest. I really did miss them. I didn't know how much until now. Looking at them now I can't help but. .Wait a second. I squint at my group of friends. Holy shit, when did we become like a Marvel Team? We're all so snarky and. ._loud_. How come I didn't notice that? I wonder if I can get Izuku to find a way to make webs. . . .

_Don't forget. ._I shift to examine my Sensei from the corner of my eye. _You just told them someone blocked your Quirk _and _knew your name. They won't forget that anytime soon. _Yeah, that might be something to worry about. Not that I'm going to talk to them about it.

_"Hello, Kana-chan."_

His voice follows me like a bad smell. I chew on the inside of my lip. Maybe one day it'll leave me alone.

The four of us spend the rest of the day inside, but drag ourselves to a nearby park the next day. It really is beautiful out. The park itself is much larger than the one Izuku and Katsuki still live by. It seems like forever since I got to relax.

Katsuki complains when I lay in the grass to watch the clouds, but Izuku redirects the explosive boy with a taunt. Ha. Never thought I'd hear that. . . Ryoji quietly keeps a vigil from the swings. It doesn't stop someone from tripping over me. Damn he's heavy.

How come I know so many people with red eyes? And now a second person with blue hair?

The boy scrambles to stand up, moving his hands around robotically as he frantically apologizes. His glasses are tilted a bit.

"You okay?" My voice seems to do the trick. "I'm Atsushi Kana."

"Iida Tenya!" He declares, falling to a salute-like stance. "I deeply apologize for tripping on you! However! You should not be laying in the middle of the playground in the first place! Someone could seriously hurt both you and themselves!"

How the hell did I manage to find _the most_ uptight kid on the planet?

_Achievement Unlocked: Party Completed_

_Achievement Unlocked: The Voice of Reason_

_Goal Set: Make Party Name_

_Goal Requirements: Consult with Party_

Wait! Why am I not the 'Voice of Reason'?! _Because you follow the others like a sheep._ Okay, now even my conscience is mocking me.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!" And now Katsuki has entered the chat.

"_Language!_" Tenya snaps, horrified.

"Japanese." There's a sound of wheezing laughter at my response.

"Making friends, Otouto?" This one, maybe Isano-Sensei's age, also has blue hair, but his eyebrows look like _arrows_.

"He's our last Party Member." I inform Ryoji as I hear him approach.

"What the fuck!?" Explosive boy is explosive.

"Hi, I'm Midoriya Izuku!" Starlight beams at him like the very sun itself.

"Shogo Ryoji. ." Ryoji stares Tenya up and down before turning to me. "You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Hold on!" Tenya protests. "I didn't agree to anything!"

"You don't get a choice!" Katsuki snarls.

"I thought you didn't like him?" Izuku calls innocently.

Tenya's older brother looks thoroughly amused. Hold up a minute.

"How come I'm the only girl?" Ryoji snorts.

"No, Kacchan's here too." Izuku has to dodge an explosion.

"Can we go home?" I hear Tenya whisper to his brother.

I snatch his hand and drag him to me. "You can't escape our friendship."

"What?!" His face flushes a bright pink.

"Ryoji?" I nod to him.

He lets out a piercing whistle. Katsuki and Izuku focus back on him. We all do. Tenya reluctantly sits in a circle with us. Our esteemed leader, who has probably been practicing this speech, begins.

"Because of Kana's Quirk. ." He nods once to me. "We are each tied together. Each of us has a role in our group to fulfill, and so we'll go over that first. I am the designated leader. Bakugo is my foil, or right hand man. Izuku is the heart of our Team. Kana is our ace, with her specialty being collecting and cataloging data."

I had found, not long after we met, that only Party Members can read my Guide. Looks like Ryoji has been studying it for the last year. Speaking of my Leader. .Her gestures to me.

"Tenya is our 'Voice of Reason'." The boy I mention sputters and reddens at that.

"I- I didn't give you permission to address me so casually!" He panics.

"I'm American."

"That's no excuse!"

"You can call me Kana."

Tenya flops over like his soul has left his body. His brother roars in delight.

"Get some fucking manners, Brainiac." Katsuki shoots.

"That's ironic." Izuku retorts.

The two of them continue to butt heads. I nudge Ryoji.

"Shouldn't you stop them?"

"Why ruin their vital male-bonding time?"

"You are in a public area!" Oh, hey, Tenya's back up. "Cease this squabbling immediately!"

"It's nice to see him play with kids his age." Tenya's brother flops down next to us. "Iida Tensei. Nice to meet you."

"Oh. .hey. " I face Ryoji. "New goal. We have to come up with a name for our Party."

"I didn't agree to this!"

"Team Explosion Murder!"

"Rejected." Izuku, Ryoji, and I chorus.

"Syndicate."

"That sounds too Villain-y." I scrunch up my nose.

"Extreme Explosion Force!"

"No."

"The Gods of Destruction!"

"Leave the names to us, you heathen."

"Even Tenya doesn't like your ideas." I repress a smirk.

"I still didn't give you permission!"

I do the best impression of Izuku's puppy dog eyes that I can. "Can I have your permission, _Iida-sama_?"

"_Just call me Tenya. ._" All the air escapes his body.

"How about an acronym?" Izuku suggests.

An impish smile crawls onto my face. Ryoji raises an eyebrow at me. My smile morphs into a full out grin. Even Katsuki is staring at me now. I know it probably died and was buried with the emergence of Quirks, but. . . The MCU should have _some _kind of tribute, right?

"S.H.I.E.L.D." I beam at them. "The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."

". . That's a little much." Ryoji replies. "Maybe just . . Shield? Or. .Sword and Shield?"

"Good enough." I lean back on my hands.

"I guess." Katsuki grumbles.

"Sounds great!" Izuku punches a fist into the air.

". . I suppose if I _have _to be involved, that is an acceptable name." Tenya adjusts his glasses.

_Goal Complete: Party Name Established_

_Connection Complete_

Connection? _Oh_. There are Golden threads attached to each of us. They tie us together. My fellow Party Members are bright Gold on my map now with a faint Blue outline. I can see them much clearer now on my Map. That's new. .

"Do you see it?" I blink up at Ryoji. "Our colors on your Map have changed, right?"

"How far did you get in the Guide?" His face flushes.

"I . .read all the way up to your current level." My bestie confesses. "I just. . I want to make sure that I'm the best partner I can be. And I know I messed up before, so I want to make sure I don't let you down again."

"That still wasn't your fault." I remind him. "But how did you know about the partner thing?"

"The Guide told me." His brow furrows. "Kana. . I think your Quirk might be-"

I blink and suddenly they're all surrounding me. The other Iida is on the phone a distance away. Why do they look so scared?

"Guys?" I lean away. "What? What's up?"

". . It's nothing." Ryoji says after a beat. ". .But we should call it a day. It's getting late."

But? The sun is still high in the sky. Izuku won't meet my eyes. What's up with them? Weird. Katsuki scowls at Ryoji, but drags Izuku off with him. Tenya hesitantly trails over to his brother.

"C'mon, Kana. .Let's go home."

Did something happen?

* * *

**Okay, let me say. .Even though Kana remembers her 'old' life, she's still emotionally a child but she's not quite coping the right way (though there's really no 'right' way to cope since everyone does it differently). There will be serious repercussions from what happened, but she's not going to notice them at first. Kind of like the stages of grief, and everyone experiences loss differently. **

**Anyway! I'll see you guys next time! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright guys. . Let's get right to it. Wait. . Okay, it might be the time to go over. .Even though Kana can _see_ the overall emotional state of a person, she can't know what they're thinking. With her Quirk and they way I write it, I can't jump to other people's POVs to give insight or reveal anything. First person limited can be highly unreliable at times, since it's being described as how _Kana_ perceives it. **

**Okay, that's all. Now let's continue! **

"This is English."

**Disclaimer: Still Own Nothing**

* * *

**Cause And Effect**

Since meeting Tenya at the park, Ryoji has been acting strange. .He's constantly worried about something, but he won't tell me what. From Yota-Sensei and Isano-Sensei's behavior, it looks like he _did_ talk to them about whatever it is. It's. . frustrating. And the irritation only builds.

Izuku and Katsuki send emails and texts, but they never come over. Tenya does, though. He's really proper about everything and always speaks so formally, but at least he's not avoiding me. He insists that we study every time we see each other, declaring if I want to do well then I need to keep up. Tenya really is our rational member. Even if he is over the moon about his brother, who he proudly informs me is the Pro Hero Ingenium.

So being around Tenya reduces the frustration, but doesn't make it go away. How could it? They're still not telling me anything. Not why they gave up looking for Mom. Not why they worked so hard on _my_ behalf. Not why I was targeted in the first place. And _not _why I'm being avoided now. I can't stand it. They're treating me with kid gloves! _You are a child._

By the time the first day of school rolls around, even Tenya's presence fails to soothe me. So being _confronted _kind of makes me snap.

The boy had been staring at me the whole class period. Maybe longer. I _really _don't like the frosty expression on his face. Not a bit. He can fuck right off. My stress spikes when he finally gains the balls to actually say something. He's standing in the doorway, preventing me from leaving.

"What?" I scowl at him, knowing somewhere in the back of my mind that I'm imitating Katsuki.

". . .Atsushi Kana. ." His mitch-matched eyes bore into mine. "My name is Todoroki Shoto, son of the Number Two Hero Endeavor."

I can feel my eye twitch as he speaks. My jaw clenches. Why is this kid pissing me off so much?

". .And as I am the son of Endeavor, and you the daughter of All Might, I will defeat you." I _snap_.

"HE'S NOT MY DAD!" I shove him so hard that he flies back into the hard wall. "FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I Fast Travel straight home. "God damn it! Fucking asshole! Who does he _think he is_?!"

"Kana. .?" Isano-Sensei stares wide-eyed at me.

"Endeavor's a litTLE BITCH AND SO IS HIS SON!" It feels like there's _steam_ coming off me. "AND WHY THE FUCK DOES EVE**RY ONE THINK ALL MIGHT IS MY DAD**?!"

I _hurl_ my bag into a wall and stomp into the gym. My hands are curled into fists.

_Whack!_

The punching bag swings away.

_Whack!_

Damn it!

_Whack!_

To hell with that asshole!

_Whack!_

What does he know anyway?!

_Whack! Whack! Whack!_

Something I don't?!

_Whack!_

Something no one if _fucking_ telling me?!

_Whack! Whack!_

Why won't they _tell me_?!

_Wha- Riiip! Thud! SHHHhhhhhh. . ._

The bag rips, flies into the wall, and then rolls across the floor spilling sand everywhere. I flop onto the floor. When did I start breathing so heavily? And get so sweaty? There's no energy left in my body. My eyes sting. Probably from the sweat. There's an odd, numb sensation in my hands. . .

Why was I so angry? What a waste of energy. . .Now I just feel tired and heavy. Like I haven't slept in a week. . .

"Kana?" Isano cautiously enters. "Holy shit! You _broke_ the punching bag?! Who pissed you off?"

I don't want to talk to her. I don't want to talk to _anyone_. All I wanna do is go to sleep and not wake up. Sleep sounds nice. Sleep is my friend. . ._Snap out of it_. My insides twist painfully. Guilt hits me like a ton of bricks. What have I done?! I _threw_ that kid. Didn't even stop to see if he was okay. He just wanted to talk and I lost it! What kind of Hero does that? How pathetic. Stupid! All I do is fuck up! I-

"You know. .it's okay to not be okay." Isano pulls me into her lap with my face pressed against her shoulder. "It's okay to be angry, or scared, or sad. Talk to us, okay? We're all here for you."

I take a deep, shuddering breath. "Then why won't you tell me anything? You guys know something, but you won't tell me!"

"It's complicated."

"No it isn't. It's about my Mom, right?"

"You don't want to know, trust me."

"Yes I do! It can't be worse than not knowing!"

Isano adjusts her hold so that she can look me in the eye. She's just as upset as I am. I couldn't see it before. Her eyes harden.

"I'll make a call then. ." Her voice is soft. "This isn't something you can hear second-hand, kid. I'm sorry we didn't personally drag his ass here sooner, but it was too dangerous."

"For who?" There's a lot more venom in that then I intended.

"For you. I can't tell you anything else right now."

But now I know that I _am _getting my answers. _Now that you're not hiding_. Isano cups my chin so our eyes meet.

"Now. .What happened?"

She scowls when I tell her. Her expression screams that she's ready to call for the hounds of Hell. I don't think I've ever seen her this angry before. . But then her face goes smooth. Isano looks at me apologetically.

"You'll have to apologize."

"I know."

Suddenly, she snorts. "Did you really call the Number Two Hero a _little bitch_?"

"Yeah." Laughing feels so _nice_. "I met him once. The guy's a dick."

Ryoji gets home half an hour later in a panic. When he spots me on the couch eating a pint of ice cream with Isano, he gets this funny look on his face. Then he disappears into his room, phone in hand. Isano just shrugs it off.

The next day I square my shoulders and stand before (crap I forgot his name) that one kid.

"I'm sorry about yesterday." I tell him in a flat tone. "But I'd like to clarify that All Might is _not_ my Dad. Whoever told you that is full of shit."

He twitches at the last part. "My Father told me."

"He's full of shit." I reply.

And then I just ignore him. Or I try to. Except. He's in every single one of my classes. Every. Single. One. I have a stalker. That's just _fantastic_. Not even Tenya or Ryoji are in every class with me. Why didn't I notice yesterday. _Because you were too angry_. Right. That's it.

_Todoroki Shoto / 8 / Male_

_Male / Demi / Half-Cold Half-Hot_

_Focused, calm, independent, well-grounded, hard working_

_Rude, unfriendly, arrogant, resentful_

_I Was Made To Surpass All Might _

_Unsettled_

"Why are you in _all_ of my classes?" I sit across from him at lunch.

"Atsushi." He doesn't even look up.

"Are you stalking me?" He does look up, but loudly slurps his soba(?) while making eye contact.

Two can play at that. I maintain eye contact while shoving my sandwich into my mouth. Then I make a point to chew as loudly as I can without making a huge mess. His nose scrunches up. I hope he's disgusted.

"Kana-chan!" Tenya appears next to me, but I don't bother looking at him. "That is incredibly rude and vulgar! You must chew with your mouth closed!"

" . .What are you doing?" Ryoji sits on my right, but I don't acknowledge him either.

"Who is this?" Ryoji tries again while Tenya's lecturing becomes our background noise.

I actually pause in my eating at that, but still don't turn my eyes. "Stalker kid."

"Do you even know his name?" Ryoji whispers this time.

"I forgot." I answer around a mouthful of sandwich.

"How did you talk so clearly with food in your mouth?" Tenya takes a break from his chewing out to be horrified by my skill.

"I'm going to use it to disgust Villains enough that they give up on the spot." I don't think Tenya likes my response.

Ryoji thinks it's funny at least. Stalker's nose scrunches up even more.

"Hey, did you break the punching bag?" My bestie asks.

"Yep." I don't pause for a moment.

"That bag was _made_ for a strength Quirk." He points out. "_My_ strength Quirk."

"I was pissed." Tenya flails at my 'language'.

"Taking lessons from Bakugo?"

"I'm nowhere near his level with swearing."

Even Tenya falls silent for a moment. There are only the sound of loud eating between us. Stalker finally takes a break from his food.

"You forgot my name." He deadpans.

"I was _very_ angry." I finish off my meal. "You're lucky I only pushed you."

There's a question in Ryoji's gaze when I finally face him. Tenya leans in from my left. I don't give either of them an answer. Instead, I spin back to Stalker. He places both of his hands on the table.

"My name is Todoroki Shoto." He announces. "And my goal is to be a better Hero than even All Might. Surpassing _you_ will be my first step."

_Achievement Unlocked: First Rival_

What the hell? I don't want to be this kid's rival! I'm not even trying to be a Ranked Hero! Maybe I should smuggle Katsuki in here and let him loose. . That would certainly keep . .(I forgot his name again) Stalker from bothering me.

"Underground." His brows crease. "I'm gonna be an Underground Hero. Pick a fight with someone else, Half n' Half."

.

.

"What was that about at lunch?" Ryoji asks on the way home.

"I was getting annoyed about a bunch of different stuff." I shrug. "But then _he_ came up accusing me of being an illegitimate child and I snapped at him. Didn't realize until today that he's in every single one of my classes."

"Aren't you in the same Homeroom?" Tenya adjusts his glasses.

"I have electives that the other kids don't. And I already tested out of English."

"How would he even get the same schedule?" Ryoji puts his weight on me. "Who does he think your Dad is?"

"Probably got _his_ Dad to rig it that way." I shake my head to clear the thought. "Idiot thinks _All Might_ is my Dad."

". . He's not?" Why does Tenya look so confused?

"Okay. What am I missing here?" This is _really_ starting to get old.

Tenya's questioning look shifts to Ryoji, who is not happy about this development. There is defiantly something going on here. How come I'm always the last to know these things?

"You missed a couple of things while Nee-chan had you in hiding."

"Hiding?" What the hell? "What do you mean, 'hiding'?"

The two boys share a look. Tenya glares fiercely at Ryoji and nods. That's sort of disturbing.

Ryoji takes a minute to speak. "After those guys tried to take you, a photo was leaked to the media. Two, actually. Both of you. And it would've been a minor News story, but . . Endeavor made a comment on it. A snide remark about being able to protect his children better than _another _high-profile Pro."

My blood _boils_. "So he basically threw shade at All Might while creating one of the biggest conspiracy theories in the world."

"Yeah. That's why you were guarded so heavily."

"I'm going to boil his bones." Ryoji and Tenya both make strangled choking noises. "I said it once, I'll say it again; Endeavor is a little bitch."

"LANGUAGE!" Tenya scolds.

"Preferably English." I retort.

.

.

Things don't really improve when we get home. Both Yota-Sensei and Isano-Sensei are sitting on the couch, waiting for us. They let Ryoji slide by to his room. He shoots an apologetic look at me as he goes.

"Am I in trouble?"

"No." Isano-Sensei sits up straighter. "It's about what we talked about yesterday."

"If the thing you didn't want to tell me was Endeavor trying to imply that a certain Number One is my Dad, then I already know."

"They found your Mother." There's ice in my veins. "She's currently being held in Tartarus."

"What?" It comes out as a strangled whisper. "But that's a _prison_! Right?"

"It's _the_ prison." Yota-Sensei never did believe in sugar coating things. "She was . . under the effects of _Trigger_ when they found her."

"It's a drug." Isano-Sensei explains. "It makes you go crazy. They couldn't tell if she was forced to take the drug, or if she did it willingly. Until. . "

"Until what?"

"They found Trigger in your apartment." Yota-Sensei sighs. "That's why they kept you at the Hospital so long. Had to make sure you didn't have any in your system."

"So. . were the guys trying to snatch me going to use me against _her_?"

"Most likely."

"Is anyone trying to _stop_ Trigger from being used?" I look between them quickly.

"Right now. .It's mainly Vigilantes." Isano-Sensei grumbles. "The Pros are doing what they can, but it's not enough."

"Vigilantes?" Yota-Sensei looks me dead in the eye.

"Like us."

* * *

**Wow! Okay, I'm glad I was able to get this finished today! Thank you guys for your support! See ya next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello again my wonderful readers! Welcome back to the show! I mean story! Eh. Alright, let's get movin'!**

**Oh, and sorry for the delay, but there's something wrong with my document manager on my laptop. This is currently being updated from my phone. Thank you for your patience. **

**Disclaimer: Do not own**

* * *

**Study Group**

Have I glitched? Has my brain short-circuited? This can't possibly be right. . .

Isano-Sensei and Yota-Sensei stare at me with blank faces. Neither of them have moved an inch. Yeah, okay. Just and error. This conversation never happened. None of it. Okay, that sounds good. I think I need a nap. My day has just been one big mess.

"I'm going to bed."

I think maybe they try to call me back, but their words don't quite reach my ears. The second I make it to my room, I burrow into a nest of blankets.

_Achievement Unlocked: Avoiding Your Problems_

Oh give it a rest already, stupid Quirk. I am not dealing with this right now.

Yota-Sensei and Isano-Sensei give me the space I need. While I do my best to avoid them, I still keep up my workout routine with Ryoji. Tenya has actually begun to join us, followed by a reluctant Stalk-_Shoto_. His name is Shoto. And he's. .not what I originally expected.

Todoroki 'I'm Endeavor's son' Shoto is a majorly rude smartass. He's the exact opposite of Katsuki, but still has that overly arrogant vibe that Yota-Sensei managed to train out of the explosive by. If I was on speaking terms with Sensei, I might've gotten him to _have a chat _with Shoto. As it is, with his frosty attitude, a little sunshine is what he needs. Plus, I really can't deal with him myself. There's just something about him that makes me feel irrationally irritated. So the rest of my Party is called together.

We meet up at Tenya's house, which is much bigger than Yota-Sensei's, to have a 'Study Group'. In the end, there are seven of us. Izuku managed to get his new friend, Izo Wakana, to join us. She's about average height for our age, and thin with a perpetually bored expression on her face. Curly crimson hair and sharp golden eyes make her really stand out. Where did he meet this girl? Ah, who cares?

The second I introduce Shoto, Izuku latches onto him. It's perfect. And so is Wakana's more relaxed disposition. The girl explains that, while she doesn't have a Quirk, both of her parents are Nurses and she plans to be one herself. Izuku had asked her to eventually join our Hero Group as a Medic, and Wakana fell victim to the golden boy's bright presence. Not only that, but she's pretty relaxed without letting Katsuki push her around. Wakana is also blunt, and says what she thinks. And if she is wrong about something, she accepts it calmly.

Like most of our group, Wakana is a smartass. A more passive aggressive one, but still. She's a great addition. Plus, Katsuki's majorly jealous.

"Why the fuck do we have to start with history?!"

"Because your grades slip the most in that area." I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Who gives a shit about _before_ people got Quirks?!"

I glare at him. "I do."

"That's cuz' you're a huge fuckin' nerd!"

Tenya interrupts our argument. "Learning our own history is-"

"Nobody asked you!" Katsuki snarls.

"We didn't ask you either." Wakana rolls her eyes. "If we want your opinion, we'll find it at the bottom of a rotting dumpster."

"Good one." I grin.

"The fuck did you say?!"

". .Pathetic." Shoto mutters.

"You got something to say, Icy-Hot?!"

"I just did. Maybe you need hearing aids?"

"You trying to start something?!"

Okay, so maybe this isn't going quite like I hoped it would. Progress at least? Man it's exhausting, though. Ryoji and Wakana must have the same thought, because they both join me in watching the chaos from a distance. Ryoji, bless him, sits in the middle. He knows I don't like being too close to people I don't know.

"Is it always like this?" Wakana asks plainly.

Ryoji shakes his head. "First time we've had people other than our 'Party Members '."

"Katsuki is actually doing a lot better than he used to attitude wise." I shrug.

"'Katsuki'?" I can hear the raised eyebrow.

"I'm American." It's a flimsy excuse, I know. "It's rude I guess. But I don't care about honorifics."

"Neither does half n' half, apparently." Wakana observes. "He just keeps calling us by our family names. . . Except you."

"I swear to several lesser demons, if you ask me if I'm _his_ daughter, I will _punt you right into the sun_."

Ryoji nudges me with his shoulder. "It's a sore spot for Kana. _I swear_ it's going to give her a complex later."

Right. Maybe that's why I'm constantly irritated by Shoto. Because the jerk keeps calling me 'love child'. I can't tell if he's being serious or if he's screwing with me, but it's annoying. Like him. He's annoying.

My bestie speaks up again. "Or maybe you already have one. . ?"

"No!" I deny a little too quickly, and my two relax-buddies laugh at my expense.

"Weren't we supposed to be studying?" Tenya slouches over to us, looking not that different from a powering down robot.

"Probably." Wakana shrugs.

We get together to do the 'Study Group' once a week. Including Shoto and Wakana. Studying does get done, but we still have fun with it. It's clear, after a while, the best and worst subject for each of us.

Katsuki, being an actual genius, is largely the better than the rest of us in most subjects. History, however, is a weak point. He does the absolute best at science. Likely because he secretes nitroglycerin from his skin as sweat, he wants to know how to use it better. English is a close second.

Izuku is pretty much at genius level too. His best subjects are math and science. At the other end, his worst subject . . Okay, so Izuku doesn't really _have_ a 'worst subject'. He's about average, or little above, in each one.

Okay, so it's like . . So with the exception of myself and Wakana, everyone's best topic is either math or science. My worst subject, and I know this is painfully obvious, is Japanese and any form that it takes. Reading is close to headache inducing. English and history (mainly American history) are what I'm best at.

Wakana enjoys history herself, but she's skilled in calligraphy (how does she make it so pretty and flawless in Japanese?) and literature related studies.

By far, aside from myself, Katsuki, and Shoto, everyone's awful at English. Though even Shoto has issues reading and writing it. I lived my whole _other _life with just the one language ( three years of Spanish didn't sink in even a little). They're lucky I can speak and understand Japanese at all. Seriously. It truly is worse than calculus for me.

Thankfully, Tenya is both highly skilled in the subject and an excellent teacher. Katsuki just gets frustrated and doesn't understand why _I _don't understand.

Halfway into the school year we unanimously decide, with advice from Blitzfire and Gunhead, to each pick up a hobby or an instrument. They tell us it's good to have something outside of Hero work. Dance isn't enough, I guess.

Katsuki decides on learning how to play drums. Wakana already has art _and _photography. Shoto somehow (I could ask, but I don't) manages to convince Yota-Sensei to teach him how to both cook and garden.

I briefly look back to _before_. When I was in school last time, I never really focused on one thing. I didn't have a plan or a goal, just getting through the day. Flute, art, cello, debate, ROTC, graphic design, fashion design, journalism, photojournalism. Each thing, except graphic design, had only lasted a year. That didn't mean I didn't like each subject. I just didn't want to put in the work then. It's different now. So I take my time before I decide to re-learn cello. Music is a wonderful thing.

Ryoji, Izuku, and Tenya end up doing something together. A YouTube channel for Heroics. Analysis on Heroes and their career, everyday good deeds, talking about merchandise, and answering fan theories. It's actually pretty entertaining. I get roped into being camerawomen for most of their stuff. It's actually pretty fun.

I don't even notice how fast the time has passed until it's nearly summertime.

We get to meet up one last time before our finals. It's clear that none of us want to study right now. There's some strange aura in the air. Some feeling of finality. Like this is the end of one chapter of our lives. Ryoji and Katsuki, being the oldest, are already ten. Shoto, the youngest of us, won't be ten until next year in January.

Ten years in this life. It's passed by quicker than I imagined. What a busy life.

There's also a sort of heaviness in the air. Something intangible and foreboding. I think the others feel it too.

"Let's go do something." Ryoji suggests. "Let's go to the park!"

Sometimes I forget that we're still kids. That we still need to play and relax.

"We can play that 'shark' game." Wakana nods.

'Shark' has been a game I played as a kid the first time that I introduced to them. Basically, one person is the 'shark' and can't move off the ground. The rest of the players move around the playground, the structures with slides and monkey bars, trying to keep out of reach of the 'shark'. Players are allowed to be on the ground, but the designated 'shark' can't climb the playground set. They seem to like it enough.

I guess it's something better experienced than explained. Yota-Sensei and Isano-Sensei are already gone when we leave.

But the park has been roped off when we get there. There are reporters, Heroes, and police surrounding the the taped off area. It's crazy.

"What the hell?" Katsuki catches a reporter's attention.

"Do you play here often?" He crouches down, and even _I _feel offended by that move and tone.

"What happened?" Tenya steps in front of Katsuki.

"A Villain escaped custody, but none of the Heroes can get close enough to catch him." The reporter's cameramen explains. "He's got hostages and he's demanding some kid for their release."

Ice spreads down my spine. I have a bad feeling about this. Izuku frowns at me for a second.

"Kana-Chan?" Is that?

Yes it is. The officer I spoke to about the mind-controller. The one I ran from.

"You remember me?" He breaks from his partner. "I'm Officer Hama Daiki. This is my partner, Officer Keigo."

"Hi." I wave stiffly to his partner, who doesn't look at all pleased with this turn of events.

"Do you remember how you helped me before?" He patiently waits until I nod. "Do you think you might be able to help me again?"

_Go for it_. But what about-? Ryoji calms me by putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. He gives me and encouraging grin. The rest of my group of friends also appear supportive. Crap. _Now you have to_.

"Okay."

Officer Keigo stays to keep my Party, plus two, from following. Officer Hama leads me to a group of brainstorming Heroes. And Detective Tsukauchi is there too. He doesn't even blink at me being here. But he does frown.

"Kana-Chan." Tsukauchi's acknowledgement catches the Pro's attention.

"This is Kana-Chan." Officer Hama introduces me. "She helped us capture this Villain the first time."

"Hi." My face burns and I'm reminded of _why _I don't want to be a public figure.

"Kana-Chan can teleport."

Instant silence. And disapproval. None of them like what Officer Hama just declared. I don't either now that I know how he wants me to help. But looking at the assorted Heroes, I know they don't really have any better options. Not even the Detective.

And then Blitzfire steps forward. "I'll protect her."

"Both of us will." Gunhead is right there next to her.

It's the best this is gonna get. I really don't want to do this, but. . . My friends are watching me. They look so _animated_. Even Katsuki grins in anticipation. I smooth out my expression. How can I not help when they're watching me like that? How can I support them doing this stuff if I won't do it myself? Okay. Time to pull it together.

"This won't be happening again." The Detective informs me.

Blitzfire makes sure she has a pair of cuffs on her before she takes my hand. Gunhead takes my other. I mentally pull up my Map and locate _Kaeomon _on it. There are seven hostages. But no one standing _behind _him. Not a smart move.

We appear right behind him. Gunhead trips from the travel, and Blitzfire stumble. The cuffs land in the grass. I don't have to look to know everything has gone wrong.

"You fools really thought-" Kaeomon cuts himself off. "Heh. Looks like the Pros aren't so hopeless after all. You're coming with me, brat."

No. No, no, no, _NO.I can't let him take me. I curl into myself, refusing to respond or even glance at him. Kaeomon laughes cruelly at my actions. _

"I can't believe you're the reason I was arrested in the first place." He talks down to me. "Then again, I'm also out thanks to you."

What?

"Ah, yes. ." Of course he sees me stiffen. "The two of us have a mutual friend. The one in the suit wearing the faceless mask."

My blood runs cold. Blitzfire and Gunhead are under his control. I can't Fast Travel so close to an enemy. Can't fight him without getting caught by his Quirk. There's nothting I can-. . .

"I bring you to him and I'm home free." He drones on.

Cold metal in my hand soothes me at least a fraction.

"Now, brat. ." One hand reaches down in front of me. "Let's go, shall-Ackk!!"

Kaeomon reals back in shock, a Quirk-repressing cuff on one wrist.

Blitzfire nails him in the face and he goes down. I don't dare move from my place. Gunhead scoops me up in a gentle hold. He shields me from the rushing Heroes and circling reporters.

Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to do this. _It's too late now. _

_"Hello, Kana-Chan."_

Because now I know he hasn't forgotten about me. Whoever he is, he's after me.

_"Hello, Kana-Chan."_

His words echo in my head. I think it's time to talk to someone about this. Detective Tsukauchi meets my eyes. And I think I know who to speak to.

**I really am sorry about the delay. Writing this way is a giant pain, but I can't use my laptop right now. Like I mentioned at the top, my document manager is screwed up. I've emailed , but they haven't gotten back to me about it. Sorry guys. See ya next time. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey, guys sorry for the delay. Updating through my phone sucks, so I had to find a new way. Okay, let's get going!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

**Brand New Day**

Detective Tsukauchi calmly leads me away from the frenzied reporters hounding Blitzfire. I take note of Gunhead joining my friends. He's most likely letting them know I'm okay, but I need to answer some questions. I'll have to tell them the truth when we meet back up. Right now I _need_ to talk to the Detective. About _him_. The man who knows my name. Who was blocking me from finding my Mom.

We end up, of course, at the Police Station. He takes me to what I believe is his desk. Tsukauchi briefly pauses to tell someone to call Yota-Sensei. Then he turns to me.

"What did you want to talk about?" I hadn't said anything except that there was something I didn't say before.

". . I saw someone." I take a deep breath. "When I tried to find my Mom. There was someone . . _blocking_ me."

"Was this the second time you had to go to the hospital?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what they look like?"

"It was. ." I swallow thickly. "A man in a suit. . He had this weird helmet-mask thing with pipes or something on it. And he knew my name."

"He knew your name?" Detective Tsukauchi has paled.

"And _Kaeomon _said the same man helped him escape." I chew the inside of my cheek. "_To take me_."

"This isn't good." He stands. "Excuse me for just a second, Kana-Chan. I need to make a call."

But he doesn't stand or walk away from his desk. Doesn't ask me to leave either. Instead, the Detective pulls out his phone and presses it once. Speed dial, I guess. So whoever he's calling is important, at least to Tsukauchi, and yet he's still making the call in front of me.

"Yeah, it's me." He must be close to whoever he's calling.

"It's about the man you've been chasing. Right. This isn't just your problem anymore. . . He went after a kid."

Tsukauchi meets my eyes and offers a reassuring smile. "She's right here in my office. . .Okay, sounds good."

Then he puts the phone face down on the table. He almost seems resigned.

"My friend shouldn't take too long to get here." Tsukauchi explains. "Yagi-san works as a secretary for All Might, who has been trying to track down the man you described. I'm sorry but I can't tell you anymore than that."

"Right. ." I'm still a child, after all.

It's so weird to think about, but. .in my old life I actually wanted to be a forensic scientist. Forensics had easily been one of my favorite classes before. Logically, I already knew he wouldn't be able to say anything. And if the Detective's reaction is anything to go by, this isn't just bad for me. It's bad news for Tsukauchi too. Plus whoever he needed to call in. Especially if this faceless man could break someone out of Police custody. Or. .wherever Kaeomon was being held before.

I slide back farther into my seat. It's weird just sitting here and waiting too.

". .You want to be a Hero, right?" Tsukauchi breaks the silence.

"I want to support my friends." I nod slowly. "They want to be Pros."

"You don't have to be a Hero to support them." It feels like there's a clump in my throat. "There's always the Support side. . Or just keeping up with the legal side of things."

I have to force my eyes not to water. "That like what Mom always said. 'You don't have to be a Hero if you don't want too.'"

"Your . ._Mom_ said that to you?" There's a strange look in his eyes.

"Yeah." I sniff.

"Well. .Why don't you tell me about your friends?"

"I met Izuku first." I couldn't fight off the grin on my face if I wanted to. "Heroes are his favorite. He's really smart and can pick apart peoples' Quirks like he's got a Ph.D. in it. Plus, Izuku is the kindest person I know besides his Mom. I met Katsuki the same day. He's always loud and angry, but I think he's just got a lot of anxiety. And he's genius level smart."

"Ryoji. . Even though I only met him a year ago, he's probably my closest friend." I shrug. "He's got a limitless amount of faith in people. Giving up isn't ever an option for him. . .But I think he's been avoiding me lately for some reason. . .Tenya is almost robotic sometimes. He's always really formal and polite. Katsuki sets him off with his cursing all the time. Tenya probably knows all the laws about Heroes and Quirks, and he'd definitely be great at paperwork."

A frown crosses my face. "Then there's Shoto. He annoys me for some reason. Won't stop calling me 'Love Child'. I. .uh. .kind of got really angry at him when we first met and pushed him into a wall. Shoto keeps trying to pick a fight with me, I think. But Katsuki always ends up the one sparring with him, since he's so competitive."

"The newest person is Wakana." I hadn't noticed I was the only girl before she joined. "Izuku met her first and introduced her to the rest of us. She's always calm and super chill. Wakana plans on being a Nurse or a Doctor."

". . They sound like great friends." Tsukauchi's expression softens. "Why does. Shoto-kun call you 'Love child'?"

I scowl. "He thinks I'm All Might's kid and nothing I say will change his mind. Got Izuku and Wakana to believe it too, but convincing Izuku probably wasn't that hard."

A loud, wet cough halts out conversation. Tsukauchi's eyes have narrowed. That sounds painful.

"Yagi-san?" The coughing subsides.

"Naomasa-san, thank you for calling me."

This man needs to be in a hospital. That's the first thing that comes to mind. He's _very_ tall. About seven feet or so? This man looks too thin to be healthy. His sunken blue eyes are still bright and alert though. And he's got wild golden hair like-. .

_Yagi Toshinori / 32 / Male_

_Male / Pan / One For All_

_Restricted/Inaccessible_

_Restricted/Inaccessible_

_Restricted/Inaccessible_

_Restricted/Inaccessible_

What kind of Quirk is -

_Alert: Biological Paternal Parent Found_

_Achievement Unlocked: It's A Girl_

No. No, that can't be right. My Quirk is just messing with me again.

"Kana-chan, this is Yagi Toshinori." How can Tsukauchi be so calm right now? "Yagi-san, this is Atsushi Kana, the girl I told you about over the phone."

Oh, right. I'm the only one panicking. Or not. Toshinori turns to stone. He's like a deer in headlights. _He knows._ He knows who I am to him.

"It's . .ah . .Nice to meet you, Kana-chan." Oh.

He's not going to say anything about it. I ignore the twisting in my gut. It's not like I expected anything from him. It's pretty clear now why he didn't bother trying to get custody, or even contact me, even though my name was definitely all over the News last year. Some people just don't want kids.

"He knows her name." Tsukauchi informs him. "And he sent someone after her."

Toshinori blanches at that. "What?"

"Kana-chan. ." Tsukauchi turns to me. "What can you tell us about the man in the mask?"

.

.

.

Yota-Sensei is waiting for me when I finish talking to Tsukauchi and Toshinori. I don't look back at the blond man. My Sensei must sense my mood, because we leave without a word to anyone else there. They let me know that the rest of my friends are back at the house, waiting to see me to make sure I'm okay. But I'm not. I am not okay.

"I met my Dad!" I blurt out before they can say anything.

The entire room, which has more people than I realized, freezes. Yota-Sensei winces at my announcement.

"The blond guy from the station?" They guess.

"Yeah. ." I swallow thickly. "And I could tell he knew who I was, but he didn't say anything."

"Who fucking needs him then?!" Katsuki growls. "You got us! You don't need some stupid fucking asshole like that!"

"Kacchan's right!" Izuku nods. "We're here for you!"

They swarm me with their warmth. It eases the twisting in my gut. This is my family and I wouldn't trade them for the world.

"What happened with the villain?" My blood runs cold at Wakana's question.

"That guy in the mask I told you about. ." I force the words out because the need to know. "He broke out that Villain and told him to. . To take me to him."

"Mother fucker!" Katsuki makes a mini-explosion.

"What?" Ryoji is deadly quiet.

"Yeah." I take a breath. "And apparently he's All Might's arch enemy or something."

And then the arguing starts. Ryoji, Izuku, and Katsuki gather in a circle and get into a heated debate. Tenya, Shoto, and Wakana are all lost. There weren't with our group when I nearly got kidnapped. Or when I tried to locate my Mom. Or when I revealed that someone blocked me from finding my Mom. It's not a fun story, and it's more painful to tell them about than I thought it'd be. _They deserve to know what they're getting into._

"We won't let him get you." Wakana informs me.

"What a horrible person to target a child!" Tenya declares.

"Can't get in trouble for Vigilantism if it's self-defense." Shoto adds helpfully.

If they didn't say before, it's clear now. Our future _Sword and Shield _is already seven strong. This study group isn't just about school anymore. I can see it in their faces. This is about our futures as Heroes. About protecting each other. And taking down the masked man if All Might can't.

**Thank you all for your patients! I really do hate having to update like this, which is why it took a while. I'll try to update sooner. And! The thing with All Might is. .Kana doesn't know who he is. And she can't bring herself to try to understand why Yagi hasn't tried to have contact with her. There is a good reason! It's just not as good a reason now, since Kana is obviously being targeted. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Welcome back my wonderful readers! Alright, okay, just to go over just a couple of things. **

**Ages of them as of this chapter. So far, their group consists of:**

**Ryoji – 10 / Feb 28**

**Katsuki – 10 / April 20**

**Izuku – 10 / July 15**

**Wakana – 10 / Aug 3**

**Tenya – 10 / Aug 22**

**Kana – 9(10) / Sept 19**

**Shōto – 9 / Jan 11**

**Hope this clears some stuff up. On with the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing!**

**Fire Hazard**

When school starts back up, it's sort of a relief. Yota-Sensei picks up more clients, so they're usually out. Isano-Sensei is gone more often too, but for a different reason. One I don't want to think about. Ryoji stops avoiding me and neither of us bring up the question of why he did in the first place. Izuku, Katsuki, and Wakana can't afford to make trips out to visit, so it's all video chats and texts from them. Meanwhile, Shōto is over so often that he might as well live here.

He's doing it to spite his Dad, I think. I think Izuku might have something to do with the fact that Shōto keeps accidentally starting fires. At least I hope they're accidental fires. And he doesn't make me irrationally annoyed as often, so that's a bonus.

Tenya is forever on his phone, keeping an eye on the news. Because as my tenth birthday passes, the crime rate soars. All Might hasn't made an appearance in nearly a month. It puts the public on edge. Blitzfire makes top ten and Gunhead is in his third year of UA. Neither of them have time to visit. Tenya's older brother, who happens to be a Pro himself, is in the thick of whatever's happening. So Tenya has every right to be worried. I'm actually worried myself.

There's this dark, unsettling feeling in my gut that I can't shake. Like someone I know has been hurt, but as far as I know my family is fine. It doesn't ease my anxiousness. Tsukauchi never calls the house to update us about the masked man. He does, however, make frequent News appearances to calm the public.

Izuku, near the end of the year, announces that he met a trio of Vigilantes. One of which, is a man with no Quirk. Somehow the green-haired ball of sunshine convinces the Vigilante, Knuckleduster, to teach him. Which then leads to him catching the eye of an unknown Pro that Izuku refuses to reveal. All he says is that he 'won't drag the team down'.

Wakana talks about volunteering at the local hospital and Katsuki actually starts a school club. He says it'll look good on his High School application. It's focus is to help other kids build their confidence and self-respect. Izuku explains that some asshole told him to 'take a swan dive off the roof' and Katsuki overheard. The explosive boy, in turn, speculates that if he hadn't met me or Yota-Sensei that _he _might have been the one saying that to Izuku and it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

And then there's the other thing. . Crime rates might have gone up, but there are no more kidnapping attempts. No news about Kaeomon. Nothing.

Well. . There is something else. January rolls around and Shōto makes a passing remark about his birthday on the eleventh. He's the youngest of our group and I hadn't thought about it before. Luckily, it's on a Saturday. Izuku, Katsuki, and Wakana manage to make the trip Friday to spend the night. We stay up decorating. It's nice to focus on something positive.

.

.

.

"SURPRISE!"

Shōto stares at us, stunned. His two guests are equally in shock. Then his face flushes and his left side literally flames up. A water balloon, launched by Katsuki, puts it out. Shōto's two guests blink owlishly at the now dripping boy. The guests in question are a girl and a boy, both older than us. And they both look like Shōto. Siblings? The girl has bits of red scattered in her hair almost like highlights, but the boy's is all white.

"Oh, uh. .Hi?" My own face heats up.

Their eyes widen and they share a look. Shōto sighs at our antics. He dries himself off.

"Why?" He directs his question at Ryoji.

"It's your birthday!" He exclaims. "Happy birthday!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" The rest of us follow.

"You got presents to open, Icy-hot!" Katsuki has his natural scowling expression.

"C'mon Shōto-kun!" Izuku drags him to the living room.

And everyone else, sans the two new comers and myself, follow them. Leaving me to introduce myself. What awful friends I have. Just leaving me to. .

"Uhh. . I'm Kana." I offer sheepishly. "Atsushi Kana."

"Todoroki Natsuo." The boy beams at me, putting an arm around the girl. "And this is Todoroki Fuyumi. We're Shōto's older siblings."

"Shōto talks about all of you all the time." There's a small smile on Fuyumi's face.

"Really?" I guess it shouldn't be too surprising. "Did he tell you he won't stop-"

"Love-child?" Shōto appears with a stuffed All Might in his hands. "Thank you for the gift."

"He keeps calling me that." I frown. "I told him my Dad's not All Might, but he doesn't believe me."

"Maybe he has a crush?" Natsuo offers with a grin.

"No!" Shōto and I both immediately protest.

"He likes Izuku." I follow up.

The half n' half boy lights up once again. Huh. That was only meant to tease. Hmm. It's cute, really. Wonder how jealous Katsuki is gonna be. Very, if I had to guess. The explosive boy in question nails Shōto with another water balloon. He didn't hear my comment. Natsuo grins at his little brother. This is actually turning out much better than I thought.

Eventually, everyone introduces themselves and we sit around the living room with cake. It's gluten free and made with almond milk, because Wakana is allergic and I'm lactose intolerant. That particular reveal is, apparently, news to my friends.

"But you eat ice cream!" Izuku protests.

"Nothing and no_one_ can keep me from my ice cream." I declare. "I'd rather die."

"Nooo!" Izuku clings, tears welling in his eyes.

"It'll only give me horrible stomach pain and nasty indigestion." Poor little goof. "Won't that be a great Hero ability? I can clear a room with my flatulence. Villains will smell me coming and run from the stench."

Katsuki falls off the couch, laughing hysterically and clutching his sides. The others don't laugh as hard, but at least Izuku stops crying.

"You'll be number one before you graduate UA." Natsuo snarks.

"Fuck that!" Katsuki recovers, pointing an accusing finger at me. "I'll smell ten times worse and the Villains won't even fucking come out of their hideouts!"

"'Hey, let's go do crime stuff.'" Wakana mocks a whiny voice.

"'Nah, man. I can already smell that exploding Hero from here.'" Ryoji mimics a gruff guy. "'I think his Quirk's Explosive Farts. Don't wanna risk it.'"

I wheeze at that. Katsuki turns bright pink to the tips of his ears.

"Are we interrupting something?" Isano-Sensei strolls in with her girlfriend behind her.

"Oh, ya know. Hero talk." I shrug.

". .Yeah?" Kayama grins wide. "Have you heard of Midnight?"

"She's got such a cool Quirk!" Izuku gushes, pulling a notebook out of nowhere and leafing through pages. "But it'd be a lot more effective if she had better armor that could just retract in some places to release the gas she produces. Plus, she'd have more protection and more options. On top of that, I wonder if she could potentially store her gas in something. .maybe gauntlets that could produce bubbles or projectiles that release her gas on impact. . Vents on her shoes that could possibly also release an amount of stored gas. ."

Kayama blinks at him. She leans over to see the notebook. If it is what I think it is, then she's looking at a decently drawn version of Midnight, but in more protective armor that still manages to give her that seductive appeal. Izuku is a genius when it comes to Quirks, after all.

"Oh." Kayama raises an eyebrow at Isano-Sensei.

"They want to be Heroes." Isano-Sensei gives her this knowing smile.

"Like Eraser-head." Ryoji nudges me.

"Like Death Arms." I nudge him back, my face on fire.

"Eraser-head is her Number One." Isano-Sensei's knowing smile grows. "My cute Otouto prefers Death Arms."

Izuku makes a strangled noise and chews his lower lip. I frown at him. Weird.

"Everyone's different." Wakana rolls her eyes. "For me it's Recovery Girl. Tenya-san idolizes Ingenium, his Nii-chan. Izukkun, Kacchan, and Shō-bō all like All Might the most."

Shōto mutters at the nickname, but doesn't outright protest it. Natsuo and Fuyumi share another look. I'm guessing they came to see what kind of friends we are. Maybe to see where their Otouto has been spending all his time.

"Don't fucking call me that!" Katsuki snaps.

"Oh, right." She nods sagely. "Only Izukkun can call you that."

"I hope all your bacon _burns_." He shoots back. "You soggy ass-waffle."

Yeah, he's been improving his insults lately. It's a lot funnier and catches most off guard.

Kayama, rather than ushering Isano-Sensei into another room for privacy, actually joins our little party.

"If I want to be in Isano-chan's life, I need to know her precious people too, don't I?" I have to shield my eyes from the absolutely _suggestive_ look Kayama gives her.

"Smooth." Wakana comments. "Take notes, Shō-bō."

Shōto frowns, his equivalent of a scowl. Kayama focuses her attention on me.

"Still have that cute All Might hoodie?" She grins wide.

"No!" I reply a little too quickly.

"Yeah she does." Ryoji smirks. "She wears it around the house all the time."

Izuku lights up at that. His eyes practically sparkle. Katsuki gives me a smug grin. Explody is the one who convinced Izuku to get it for me in the first place.

"I got a new one last year." Don't meet his eyes, don't encourage him.

"What?!" Too late; Izuku's eyes widen.

"It came gift-wrapped in the mail." I admit.

The front was the normal red, blue, and yellow colors, but the back had two signatures printed across it. Whoever sent it used a press to put the signatures on it. All Might and Eraser-head. I doubt I'll ever know if the second signature is real though. No name on the package.

"I remember that." Isano-Sensei inputs. "The back was signed, right?"

"SIGNED?!" Izuku and Katsuki chorus.

"All Might cares about _people_." It's just too hard to resist. "Not like Garbage-Fire."

Izuku chokes. Katsuki rolls his eyes. They know who I'm trash-talking. Looks like Tenya doesn't approve.

Ryoji just shakes his head. "You've got some kind of complex there."

"I just think there's a better way to deal with a Fire Hazard." He doesn't buy it.

"A fire extinguisher, maybe." Shōto adds helpfully in a flat tone.

Neither of Shōto's siblings comment on this. They do, however, seem amused. Katsuki won't let the previous topic go.

"We can see the hoodie later." He glares.

"So you _are_ an All Might fan?" Kayama leans forward.

"Ehh. ." I count off my fingers. "He's. . seven or eight on my list, I guess."

"Three!" Wakana pipes up.

"Two." Ryoji and Tenya speak together.

"Well, it's normal for people to like different Heroes. ." Is what Kayama answers with. "I just usually hear that everyone's favorite is All Might."

It's nice. To just sit and talk, and enjoy the day. Without homework, kidnappings, or training. Not that I don't enjoy it. I just need a break every now and then. And so did everyone else from the look of it. We spend the rest of the day in a similar way. Chatting, and joking. Playing a game or two. There's even a peaceful smile on Shōto's face at the end of it. Natsuo and Fuyumi also appear relaxed. I'm glad they could meet us. Settle any uneasy feeling they might have.

But that gut-twisting sensation never leaves. It just gets stronger. . . . Whatever it is, I know I'll have my family there with me.

**. . .**

**. . .**

**. . .**

**Aaaaannnddd that's the end of the chapter! Something a bit lighter to make up for missing a week or however long I skipped. Thank you all for your continued support! See ya next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everybody! I'm back for the next chapter of The Analytical Hero: Catalog! Strap in, guys, let's begin!**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.**

**Ready or Not**

A week before Katsuki's birthday something big happens. Something I hadn't been waiting for, necessarily, but it happens. When Ryoji and I get home from school, there's not one, not two, but _four_ people waiting for us. Yota-Sensei and Isano-Sensei are on the couch. . Tsukauchi is sitting up straight in an armchair. And . .

My Dad's here too. Now I know, looking at him, that he was only thin before. He's skeletal now. And it seems like he hasn't gotten much sun. Sunken blue eyes snap to mine when he sees I'm here. All of the adults become more alert.

"I'll be in my room." Ryoji scurries away, leaving me.

"Ryoji!" I call after him in disbelief.

"Homework!" Ryoji shoots back.

Silence falls between us. Wow, this is awkward. I'm a bit at a loss for why they're gathered like this.

"So. . ." I lace my fingers together. "I bet you're wondering why I gathered you here today."

Toshi- _Dad_ chokes on his laugh and coughs up a spray of blood. Isano-Sensei flinches, but the other two don't bat an eyelash. Tsukauchi offers him a cloth, which he accepts with an apologetic smile.

"I'll call an ambulance." I reach for the landline.

"That won't be necessary." Dad holds up a hand, wiping the blood away. "It's a medical condition. The Doctors can't help any more than they already have."

I don't fully buy it, but Tsukauchi doesn't say anything about it. None of them do. And Dad suddenly looks very nervous. Like he's about to drop a bomb.

"Kana. ." He swallows. "I . . I should've said something the first time we met. Maybe things would've been different. Before, I was afraid. My own _mentor_ put her own child up for adoption in the hopes of protecting him. But I won't- _can't _do that. I had to make sure that All For One, the masked man, wouldn't be able to come after you. He won't be a problem anymore."

"You mean. . ?"

"All Might defeated him." Tsukauchi smiles softly. "He can't send people after you, or come after you ever again."

"Now that you're safe from him, I'd like to be able to know you better." Dad puts the palm of his hand on his forehead, fingers sliding into his hair. "I understand if you don't want to see me, or if you would rather you never met me at all, but. . It's selfish of me, but I would be honored if you allowed me to be a better father by being here for you now."

There's a scab over my heart that I never realized was there. It's bleeding and throbbing now. An emotional wound that I had, like most of my issues, ignored. _Before_, I was closest to my Dad. But _he_ never understood my anxiety, or saw that I needed professional help. It came between us in the end and I hadn't spoken to him in years when I . _passed_. This man isn't him. This man before me wants to, is prepared to, put the work in.

I don't realize I'm crying until the warmth rolls down my face. My eyes and cheeks sting. Not a sound comes out of my mouth.

"Okay." I choke out, sniffing.

And he's there, wrapping me in a gentle hug. I sniffle into his baggy shirt.

"You're gonna stay, right?" My voice sounds so small in my own ears. "You're not gonna leave me?"

"Never." Oh, he's crying too. "I promise."

.

.

.

My friends, however supportive, are incredibly protective of me. For a group of future Heroes, they're downright vicious about keeping each other safe. I have no doubt we'd put Izuku's Dad through the same treatment if he dared show his face. I know I would.

The custody paperwork goes smoothly, but Dad tells me I don't have to move in with him if I don't want to. He likely would've worked something out with Yota-Sensei. We agree to wait until school is out to move me in. Because, it turns out, Dad lives in the city. Izuku, Katsuki, and Wakana live a whole city or two away in an apartment complex. Yota-Sensei, Tenya, and Shoto are in a suburban area themselves.

That means little to no time to see each other. More video chats and less actual face-to-face time. The adults, mainly Dad and Yota-Sensei, pitch in to get each of us phones so that we can text each other. Better than nothing, I guess.

When Katsuki's birthday comes around, he isn't in a big celebrating mood. He's eleven, the oldest of us, and explosive.

"He's upset that you're moving so far." Izuku explains. "You and Wakana are the only girls who don't throw yourselves at him."

"What?" I squint, trying to figure out if he's being serious. "We're not old enough for that."

"Doesn't stop them." The greenie shrugs.

"It's creepy." Wakana adds.

"But he's. . always angry." I make a face.

"They like angry." She notes.

"Anyway. ." Izuku changes the subject. "How're things with your Dad?"

"I'll be spending weekends with him until it's time to move." I answer plainly. "He's getting the place ready."

Izuku hesitates a moment. "What about Todoroki-kun?"

"Avoiding us still." I grouse. "Won't even look at me in class. He just sort of . .scowls and keeps walking."

"He what?" Green-bean inquires.

"Scowls." Wakana helps out. "That's the word you wanted to say, right?"

"Yeah." There are some words I still don't know. "Not even Tenya can get a word in."

The turbo boy couldn't make it because his older brother was in town for a short while. Shoto, because he hasn't spoken to any of us in a month. Ryoji is trying to settle Katsuki down by challenging him to different stuff in an attempt to tire him out. Across the room, the adults are huddled together in discussion.

"He wanted to be the one to take down the masked creep." Izuku gives a little insight. "Kacchan, I mean."

"Yeah?" Ice settles in my gut.

"Well he's gone now." Wakana puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "All Might beat him. He's not coming back."

.

.

.

It's harder to confront Shoto than I thought it'd be. I have to resort to cornering him in the bathroom.

"This is the boys'." He tries to brush past.

"Don't care." I intercept him. "Why are you avoiding me? Avoiding _us_?"

"Mind your own business." His face is stone. "We're not friends. Go bother someone else."

"Like hell we're not friends." I put my hands on my hips. "That line ain't gonna work on me. Fess up."

"I _said_ it's none of your business." Shoto growls.

"You can tell me." I frown at him, not at all intimidated. "I _am _your friend. Ryoji, Izuku, Katsuki, Tenya, Wakana, and me. We're all your friends. Why are you pushing us away? We're all too stubborn and hard-headed for that."

"Maybe if you kept out of other peoples problems, your Mom wouldn't be in Tartarus." He snarls, face twisting horribly into a dark scowl. "Maybe you wouldn't have to cry to Midoriya or Shogo to solve all _your_ issues! Maybe then you wouldn't burden everyone else and just _do it yourself_! No, we aren't friends. My Dad only wanted me to get closer to you because he thought All Might was your Dad!"

I don't stop him from leaving this time. My body feels heavier than usual. I let myself sag to the floor and just stay there. I'm just not emotionally strong enough for this. His words ring in my ears. They echo and gnaw at me.

And I just. .don't . .think.

.

.

.

"KANA!" Ryoji and Tenya hover over me when I blink.

"What?" My head aches and I'm not on the bathroom floor anymore.

"You're home." Ryoji sighs in relief. "The teachers said you never went back to class. Nobody saw you leave."

"I don't remember leaving." My voice is dry and flat. "It doesn't matter."

"Kana-"

"Please. . I don't want to talk about it right now." I lower my eyes.

We don't talk about it again, but they can probably guess. I don't even look Shoto's way. Izuku might try again, Katsuki wouldn't have accepted it. But I can't handle a second attempt. Is that wrong of me? To give up on him because of a few careless words? If a stranger said that, I would've brushed it off. Ignored them with a scoff and kept going. But Shoto knows me. Or, I'd like to think he does, since he knew right where to hit.

Ryoji and Tenya take my mind off it. We do a five mile run before and after school, study, and work in a video game every now and then. The three of us improve our running time with a grin. Wakana, Katsuki, and Izuku progress together too, though Wakana is more for improving her studies than her physical condition.

Then it's my first weekend with Dad. He turns bright pink and hands me an All Might plushie with a bow on it.

"I wasn't sure. ." Dad stammers nervously.

"It's great." I didn't have any stuffed animals, but the little stuffed bear I had Before always had a place in my heart. "I love it."

He absolutely beams at that. My Dad is adorable. How did I not see that?

"All Might is definitely in my top ten." I smile back at him.

"Top ten?" He blinks owlishly. "He's not. .your favorite?"

"Eraser-head is." I fidget a little. "Izuku is the one who found out about him. He's really cool."

Dad's smile widens. "He is, isn't he?"

That kind of sounds like pride in his voice. Huh. And he's not at all shocked or upset that I don't have All Might up on a pedestal. I snap a picture with my phone. He's too adorable not to photograph. Dad ruffles my hair, making it even more of a mess. I make a show of fixing it.

"I hope you like it." He fiddles with his hair as he opens the door to his apartment.

"I will." I reassure him.

His apartment is neat and organized. It's big as far as apartments go, with the kitchen and dining room separate from the living room. Dad explains that both bedrooms have their own bathroom and that there's a half-bathroom (just the toilet and sink) for guests.

I honestly don't know what I expected when I opened the door, but I didn't think it'd be this. It's. .umm. .covered in rainbow and unicorns. Literaly. The bed, round with a thing hanging over the top of it, is pink and white, covered in stuffed unicorns. The walls are sky blue with blotchy white clouds, and I think those are glowing the dark stars dangling from a midnight celing. There's a dresser and a desk, both pale pink with rose red bean bag chair in front of the desk. The desk has it's own stained glass lamp that looks like it came from the 1970s or 80s. Even the carpet is a plush, glittery pink.

Oh boy. This is. .something alright. And there's Dad with this dorky, hopeful smile.

"I asked one of my co-workers for some advice." He sheepishly admits.

Oh, Dad. I don't know if someone gave you bad advice, or if they thought they were being funny by telling you this was the way to go.

I swallow it. "Thanks Dad. It's uhhh. .I'm at a loss for words."

"Plus Ultra?" His smile takes up his whole face. "That's UA's motto. Go Beyond, Plus Ultra!"

"Yeah." I nod. "Plus Ultra."

I snap another photo.

.

.

.

I think Dad is officially the person I'm closest to. Besides Ryoji. My phone is full of pictures. He's always home, always ready to just spend time together. Dad explains that he's on medical leave until school starts, and even then, he'll only be working while I'm at school. I stay at Yota-Sensei's for a week in the middle of summer, and then a week at Auntie Inko's. To get in some time with my friends.

When I get back, Dad asks me. .

"Would you like to meet a couple of _my_ friends?" He sits across from me. "If it's too soon, you don't have to. They sort of work with me, and . ."

"Yeah. .That sounds cool. ." Wait a second. "Is one of them the one who gave you advice?"

"Oh, yes." Dad nods enthusiastically. "He'll be one of them."

So I get to meet the guy who told my Dad to make my room fairyland? Not that it hasn't grown on me (like a fungus). It's hard to get used to that pink. But Dad worked so hard on it. . I'll try to be nice. For Dad.

**00000000000000000000000000000**

**Woo! Okay! That's it for this chapter! More Dadmight next time!**

**Oh! Before I forget! Due to the way the story is progressing and the character's themselves, I'm a bit unsure what I want to do about the passing of One For All. So! I now have a poll set up with options! Feel free to review with your recommendations and a reason why they'd be a good idea. We're still a few chapters from the start of canon. **

**See ya next time! By guys!**


	13. Interlude

**Hey, what's up guys? I'm working on the next chapter, but for now I hope you enjoy this interlude. Working with first person limited can be highly unreliable, and there's a lot Kana doesn't know, so here we go! Just some insight!**

**OH! And for those asking, the poll is on my profile!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

**Interlude**

**Pt 1 +=+**

Atsushi Rumi was never really meant to have kids. She knew it, her entire family knew it. Even the guy who ran the deli down the street knew.

Rumi was the second oldest of six girls, mostly raised by a single mother who moved them around constantly. Her own mother, selfish and uncaring, never bothered to really keep track of her daughters. Until she's contacted by the H.P.S.C, or Hero Public Safety Commission. In exchange for training her girls to become Heroes, Atsushi Mura would live the rest of her life in luxury. None of her daughters had a say in this.

Each girl had a variation, though weaker, of Mura's 'Supreme Observation'. How Mura had this ability, however, was widely unknown, since she'd previously been Quirkless.

The oldest, Kaiya, had Location Homing, which allowed her to find anyone, anywhere. Rumi, Quirk publicly known as 'blueprint', was actually Matter Detection, which never failed to drain her physically and emotionally because of it constantly sending information to her brain. Junko, the third daughter, had Pattern Sense, letting her easily perceive, analyze, and comprehend patterns. Fuji, in turn, had Death Sense, meaning exactly what it sounded like. Hamako was left with Multi-focus, which, again, like it sounds. Last, but not least, was Ginko with Role Perception, allowing her to perceive the purpose, or roles, people might have.

They were moved to America, and trained there. Mura did not follow. Rumi, easily the most wild and the least controllable, only ever listened to Kaiya. She became narcissistic, rude, and overall undisciplined. The rest of them weren't too far behind her in that. But there's one thing that defined her above all that; She hated being a Hero and always would.

So when she met Nathan, an American ten years older than her, she thought it might be her way out. Rumi was wrong. So very wrong. Because when she sees the positive on the pregnancy test, she knows it's not Nathan's. Briefly, she recalls a night that she can't actually remember, in which she woke up naked next to a blonde man she didn't know. Rumi never tries to find out who he is.

But between the heavy drinking, mild drug use, and sleeping around, Rumi doesn't think she can be a real parent. Nathan might be, though. So she hides the fact that the baby isn't his, and marries him. He gets. . He _changes_ when they marry. His obsession comes to light. The man thinks he was visited by an Angel who told him that he would marry, and have a child, with a woman named Rumi. Her sisters cut ties with her, not giving an explanation as to why. Rumi feels trapped all over again.

When her little girl is born, things change for Rumi. She wants her daughter to be _free_. Free to make her own choices, go down her own path. She lets Nathan believe Kana has his Quirk. Kana doesn't have his Quirk. Rumi knows this because she sees Kana push the fridge by accident, and she doesn't have a strength Quirk. Plus, Kana isn't his. It's hard getting sober, getting clean. Worth it, though.

After she's sober, Rumi sees things she hadn't noticed before. Like how controlling Nathan is. He is toxic and Rumi _can't _let him raise her children. She wants to keep all three of them. But America hasn't evolved far from their racist, misogynistic ways. They haven't evolved at all, really. Even if she is a Pro Hero. No court would give her custody. On the surface, Nathan is a hardworking, upstanding citizen with a good job. It takes two long years of legal fighting to get custody _of just Kana_. The H.P.S.C extended their hand to offer 'some help', but Rumi knew what they would have demanded as payment.

Rumi has their names changed and they leave for Japan. The place where Rumi was born. Where she should've been raised. It isn't hard to find an Agency. Her sisters still don't contact her. Little Kana, with her wild sunshine hair, makes friends easy enough. Rumi didn't have that as a child, just her sisters.

The warm feeling in her chest is quickly squashed. H.P.S.C contact her. They make her do extra missions, work longer, do more _shady_ things that other Pros would never do. Rumi does it. Because she's afraid. What if they go after her daughter? If they revoke her license, because that's definitely within their power? Rumi doesn't have any other skills, and she can't just pick up some cashier or waitress job. The police wouldn't hire a disgraced Hero. She fears what the H.P.S.C can do to her and her daughter, so she obeys. Even if it means she hardly sees her daughter.

Children start going missing. People lose control of their Quirk in the streets. There's a looming shadow, and a drug called Trigger is at the center of the problems. It's not being sold, it's being made and _handed out like candy_.

Rumi gets a new job that pulls her from her Agency. She has to go undercover and find out who's behind the drug. Innocent people are being forcibly drugged now. Trigger is a threat to all of them. Her mission goes sour fast. Gets in too deep and has _nothing_ to show for it. The undercover Hero doesn't find out how Trigger is made, or who's pulling the strings, or _why_ it's just given away. They inject her with it. Rumi nearly has a stroke the first time. But then it's the best high she's ever had. Worse, she can justify taking more by telling herself it's to protect Kana. Before she was a mother, she was an addict. She'll always be an addict. It's a constant, endless battle. Now she's losing. That's what really burns her.

The higher ups of the organization she has infiltrated discovers that she's been stealing Trigger. She's a loose cannon. A flight risk. Before they pump her full of Trigger and set her on the city, they tell her they'll take good care of _Kana_. They don't send her far enough. Rumi is still a highly trained _Hero_. The woman turns right back around, the only thought in her mind 'protect Kana', and _decimates_ them.

When the Pros and Police arrive, she's _screaming_ and drenched in blood. They can't reason with her. Rumi can't think straight. Believes they're with the people who want to _hurt her daughter_. It takes days to subdue her, to get the handcuffs to _stay on_. But she's alone when her mind returns. Utterly alone. The H.P.S.C will not stand with her. Won't come out with the truth that they _made her_ go undercover. And she can't bring them down without dragging her daughter into the fight. Rumi confesses to willingly using Trigger, which is true to a point, and channels her younger self to piss them off so thoroughly that she'll never see the light of day. Her daughter wants to be a Hero. She can't let her find out what she had to do. What she was _manipulated_ and blackmailed into doing.

So she requests that her daughter not know about _what_ she did. Rumi doesn't see Kana again. But at least she's safe.

**.**

**.**

**Pt 2 **

Toshinori knows the truth the second he sees her. She looks just like him. He knows Kana is his daughter. The girl has his own heroic light. She didn't have to help, but she did. Without a thought to the consequences. It troubles him. Haunts his waking thoughts. Of course he remembered her mother. Atsushi Rumi had been the first and only woman he ever slept with. He had been drained after a particularly bad Villain fight, which had, unfortunately, been on the anniversary of his mentor's death.

Nana had been like a mother to him, despite the short time they had together. And she had hidden her own son for his own protection. Toshinori wonders what happened to him for a moment. The question slips from his mind. As All Might, he knows he has enemies. It would be foolish to think otherwise. And Toshinori is much smarter than anyone gives him credit for. A certified genius. But everyone makes mistakes. He thinks, maybe, Kana will be better off without him.

Nighteye picks up on his mood easily. The number one Hero hesitates for a moment. But Nighteye isn't just a _sidekick_. Toshinori always saw him as a partner. An equal. And he craves a second opinion. His _partner_ urges him to try to get to know his daughter. But he still hesitates. Sorahiko is contacted, not by Toshinori. The old man who helped him become a successful Hero tells him to suck it up and see his daughter. Sorahiko never approved of Nana's decision to let her own son go. His partner and his teacher join together to convince him. And then they go as far as to call _David_.

Toshinori's old friend is far from happy to hear that he's flinching away from being in his kid's life. David has a daughter himself, two years older than Kana. He tells Toshinori that he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he couldn't be there for Melissa. So Number One has _three_ people, all close to him, rooting for his family reunion.

But then Toshinori gets a call from Detective Tsukauchi, another dear friend, and gives him the bad news. All For One has directly targeted a child. A little girl. His worst fears are confirmed when he locks eyes on her. He was a sight to see at that moment. One For All might be a stockpiling Quirk, but if he uses too much, too fast, he shrinks. The man can only imagine how she sees him. And he sees it her her eyes the second she _knows_ who he is. It tears a hole in his heart.

Sachio (Nighteye), Sorahiko, and David are right. He _can't _stand by while _his daughter_ is in danger. And he _can't _cast her aside, even if he might have a few enemies. Especially not when her mother is in Tartarus. But first, he has to take All For One down for good.

The fight is dragged out. Long and bloody. Right after his _very public_ take down of Toxic Chainsaw. It leaves him critically injured. He's lucky he doesn't die. Toshinori has to go through endless surgeries to even get a chance at living. Sachio begs him to retire. Tells him that he'll die. But that's not who Toshinori is. The only thing that – reluctantly- keeps Sachio around, is Toshinori telling him that he was right about Kana. His daughter. Chiyo, Recovery Girl, sternly tells him that he's not doing _anything_ until she approves. He needs physical therapy and time to recover. Sachio is smug to hear, and he's sort of glad he stuck around for this, that _All Might _will be taking a three month leave at _minimum_. His smug partner says that'll be plenty of time to do the right paperwork and get everything settled.

Toshinori just hopes Kana won't hate him for not being there. That maybe she'll be able to forgive him. The blonde man is horribly stubborn, but he won't _make_ her live with him. He really hopes it works out.

**.**

**.**

**Pt 3 ****{=}**

Izuku meets the trio of Vigilantes completely by accident. It all started with his Mom's muttering to herself about getting directions from someone in an All Might hoodie. The green-haired boy gets curious and goes looking. He's muttering to himself, taking notes, when a hulking figure looms over him. The Vigilante, Knuckleduster, demands to know what he's doing. Izuku just barely manages to not stutter through his explanation. That he wants to be a Hero, but if doesn't have a Quirk, then he has to be able to break down Quirks within seconds of seeing them so he knows the best way to take down Villains.

Knuckleduster gives him a feral grin and tells Izuku to call him Shishou. The other two Vigilantes barley even bother to protest. Izuku doesn't tell his friends where they meet, but does tell them about it to keep them from worrying. This, of course, means he also has to tell his Mom, who insists on meeting _Shishou_. Izuku has no clue what they bond over, but by the end of the meeting, Izuku has a new Godfather (his Godmother being Bakugo Mitsuki). Needless to say, Izuku gets his blessings from his Mom to continue the training. Shishou pushes him harder than Yota-Sensei or Isano-Sensei ever did.

Eventually, a Pro Hero does show up. Eraser Head, as he goes by. The green-haired boy, in a rare turn of events, had never heard of him. Said Pro happens to be of the _Underground_ variety. Exactly what kind of Hero Kana wants to be. Izuku catches the man's attention by accident. A lucky accident. Because the Pro practically fights without a Quirk, and has a similar build to what Izuku imagines himself to have. As great a Shishou as Knuckleduster is, Izuku doesn't think he'll ever have the muscle to be like him. So Eraser Head becomes his mentor, and Knuckleduster just helps him with his stamina and endurance. A fair enough trade off. Of course, this time Eraser Head is the one insisting on meeting his Mom. And getting permission. The meeting ends with his Mom adopting him into the family as well. Izuku really does have a great Mom.

Unlike Knuckleduster, however, Eraser Head makes Izuku agree to keeping their training a secret. The scruffy man doesn't want or need a spotlight. He just wants to do his job. Izuku respects that. So does his Mom.

**.**

**.**

**OKAY GUYS! That's it for this chapter. I was going to put a Pt 4, but couldn't figure out what else to put. See ya next time, guys! Hope this cleared up a thing or two. The poll is on my profile, so you know. 3 votes for Izuku so far. **

**See ya!**


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